Sharing a Dressing Room Is Like Sleeping Together
by EverTheDreamer
Summary: Gypsy revival. Based on Patti LuPone's Rose. Rose tried to remember the way Tessie's skin had felt against her own, the way Tessie's lips had been so soft as they caressed her neck, the way Tessie had tasted when they kissed. FEMMESLASH
1. Chapter 1

She turned, putting the folded dresses in the suitcase with the music until tomorrow for safe keeping. She wished she had let Herbie to stay and help her. But she, being her, had told him to take Louise and the girls to the hotel and that she'd meet him there when she was done cleaning up for the day.

They'd been playing the house for a week and Rose still couldn't get over some of these women. Tessie and Mazeppa seemed to always be_ watching_ her and, if she was honest, it freaked her out more than a little.

"Rose?" A hand caressed the small of her back.

She gasped sharply and jumped, turning around and grabbing her heart in shock, as she knocked the suitcase from its perch and scattered the sheet music and dresses.

"Tessie," Rose sighed in relief, the whole burlesque house making her jumpy. All those _dirty_ men from the audience able to just come back stage… She surveyed the mess she made with an angry sigh, "Damn."

"Sorry," Tessie giggled.

"It's fine. What do ya need?" Rose asked, bending over to gather the fallen sheet music. She could feel the blonde's eyes on her as she continued picking up the music.

"Well, I sorta wanted to ask ya somethin'," she fiddled with the hem of her costume nervously, averting her gaze from Rose's firm behind.

Rose waited in silence as she threw the music into the suitcase, picking up one of the girls' dresses and refolding it. "… Yeah?"

"Well, Mazeppa and I were talkin' an'," she walked away, sitting in front of the mirror and playing with a necklace, "we was wonderin' if ya ever… Well, if you was ever…"

Rose added the folded dress to the suitcase and picked up another, watching Tessie out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't like the blonde to be nervous. "If I was ever _what_?"

"Well, if you was ever-" she mumbled the last part, looking away from Rose.

"If I was ever what, Tessie?" she repeated, adding the second refolded dress to the pile.

"A strip-woman?" Tessie asked quietly, standing up as though she was preparing to run. Or fight.

Her eyes sprang open and she threw the dress she had started folding into the suitcase and marched determinedly toward the blonde. "You say that again to my face," she dared, getting right in the taller woman's face as she drew herself to her full height.

Tessie did the same, towering over Rose and looking down at her. "I asked ya if you was ever a strip-woman." She took a single step forward, making the redhead back up.

"No," Rose growled, seething as she stared unwaveringly back into Tessie's bright eyes. "I would never strip. _I_ am a lady."

Tessie pursed her lips in disbelief. "Well-" She took another step forward and Rose stepped back again, her backside colliding with the vanity. "Mazeppa and I both agree that, from the way you walk, you'd make a damn good stripper. And-" She stepped forward again, pressing her body against Rose's. "We don't think you'd pass up a chance to be on stage."

Rose blinked up at her, her eyes wide. She was panting slightly and her mouth was suddenly unbearably dry. She darted her tongue out, running it across her plump lips. "I-" Was she really that transparent? Was her desire to be on the stage that obvious? "I-"

Tessie smirked before suddenly pressing her lips to the shorter woman's, her long fingers entwining in the red curls as she pulled Rose's mouth hard against her own.

Rose squeaked in surprise, her eyes shooting open. "Mmnmph!" She tried to back up but the vanity prevented her escape and she settled for whipping her head to the side to break the kiss. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing!?"

The blonde smiled mischievously, "That's the _other_ thing Mazeppa and I talked about." She was still pressing herself against the shorter woman.

Rose glared angrily, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before trying to wriggle away. "What? Jumping me?" Tessie leaned close again and Rose moved her face out of the way in an attempt to avoid another kiss.

The blonde's lips grazed her earlobe, "No. The fact that you have lesbian tendencies."

Rose's eyes went wide again and she pushed the taller woman away. "How _dare_ you? I am not- I don't have- How _dare_ you!?"

Tessie smirked in response, "Funny how you didn't react that way when I kissed you just now." She was practically circling the shorter woman, predator and prey.

"But I didn't- You- I-" she stuttered. She took a deep breath, collecting herself before glaring again. "You stay away from me," she pointed at the other woman, maneuvering around the vanity and backing away.

The blonde smiled, stepping forward as she giggled.

"I mean it. And I do not have _lesbian_ tendencies. I am not a _lesbian_. I- Herbie! I have a fiancé. And I'm gonna marry him. And I love him. And… I'm not interested in women," she rambled, her eyes trained on the blonde. "And-"

"And, and, and," Tessie mocked, stepping closer until Rose had backed against herself against the wall. "And you _liked_ when I kissed you." She pressed herself against the redhead again. "And you want me to do it again."

Rose stared up at the blonde, a deer caught in the headlights. She shook her head, her mouth opening and closing as words escaped her. When the taller woman leaned in again, though, she closed her eyes and pursed her lips, her body preparing for another kiss despite everything she had just said.

"See?" she whispered in Rose's ear, smiling.

Rose's eyes fluttered open, realizing that Tessie was toying with her. "I-"

Tessie pressed her lips to Rose's full ones again, cutting her off. She ran her tongue lightly over the swell of the redhead's lower lip, her hands tangling in Rose's curls. Rose's eyelids fluttered close and Tessie grinned, feeling the other woman's fingers tangle in her hair as Rose parted her lips. She slid her tongue into the shorter woman's mouth, tasting her as she ran one of her hands teasingly down her front and over the swell of her breasts.

Rose's eyes snapped open and she pulled away. "I-" Tears were suddenly shining in her eyes as she panted, her face flushed.

"Shhh, it's okay, Rose," she soothed, pulling the redhead into a tight embrace and running her fingers through her hair. "It's okay, shhh."

"But, I-" Rose sniffed, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand. "Herbie! I can't-I don't- I can't _do_ this to him. I-"

"Shhh, no tears, Rose. Don't cry," Tessie cooed, running her hands down the shorter woman's sides. She held her at arms' length before leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on Rose's nose, another at the corner of her mouth, and then a third full on her lips.

Rose inhaled sharply, her eyes closed. "Tessie, I _can't,_" she whispered, her voice straining and pained. "I'm marrying Herbie in a _week_."

"I didn't ask you not to," Tessie all but purred, gently massaging the redhead's sides before leaning in and leaving hot kisses on her neck.

Rose whimpered in response, her head lolling back as her arms hung limply at her sides. "Te-Tessie…" She raised a shaking hand to Tessie's blonde hair, guiding the other woman's lips to her pulse point as her eyelids fluttered shut again.

"That's right, Rose," the blonde cooed, moving one of her hands back to Rose's ample breasts. "Shhh, let Tessie make it all better."

She fumbled with the buttons down the front of Rose's blouse, slowly kissing the newly exposed flesh and making Rose gasp and pant quietly. She pushed the blouse down the redhead's arms before bringing her attention back to Rose's breasts, gently working them through the fabric of her bra as she kissed and sucked the redhead's neck.

"I-I- Oh, God," Rose forced herself to swallow. She whimpered again, biting her lip. She felt like she was on fire but her body was _screaming_ and _pleading_ for more. "I- No. I _can't_."

"But you want to," Tessie stated, gently kissing the tops of the other woman's breasts as her fingers slid between the cups and Rose's hot skin.

"Tessie, please," she begged, pulling away from the blonde and going back to the vanity. "I can't. I just- I really can't." She brought her hands to her head, massaging her temples. "I can't do this to Herbie. I-I gotta marry him. I promised him. He _loves_ me, Tessie."

Tessie walked over to her, pulling her back into an embrace before guiding her into a seated position on the vanity. She ran her hands under the redhead's skirt and up her thighs, rubbing gently. "But do you love _him_, Rose? Will you be _happy_ as his _little wife_? To never see the stage again? To never _be_ on the stage again?"

Rose blinked back tears shaking her head, "It doesn't matter, Tessie. It doesn't matter what I want. It's what Herbie wants. And I promised him." She looked at her lap, wringing her hands nervously.

Tessie stepped between her legs, tilting Rose's face up. "But do you _love_ Herbie?"

"Yes! Of course I do! I mean, he's-he's _wonderful_ and _handsome_ and he-I-" she stumbled over her words as she looked into the blonde's eyes. Crystal blue. Like Herbie's. "Oh, I don't know! I used to know. But I-You-I don't know."

Tessie looked back at her, nodding knowingly, "Is it because I kissed you?"

"No," Rose answered, too quickly. She stared back at Tessie, uncertainty written in her eyes. "Maybe? Yes, I guess. I just-"

"Do you want me to do it again?"

Rose stared back at her, the tears slowly disappearing from her chocolate brown eyes. Her voice was a low whisper when she spoke, "Yes."

The blonde smiled before gently pressing her lips back to Rose's, letting her guide the kiss. Rose's fingers tangled in her hair, pulling Tessie's mouth harder against her own as she parted her lips, inviting the other woman's tongue in. One of her hands left Tessie's blonde tresses to guide the blonde's hand back to her breast before she began nervously running her palm over the blonde's taut stomach to her bejeweled brassiere.

"Miss Tura!"

Rose stiffened.

"MISS TURA!"

She pushed the blonde away, jumping from the vanity and to the other side of the dressing room. She scooped up her blouse and pulled it on, facing away from the door as she buttoned it with trembling hands, as Mazeppa pushed the door open.

"Miss Tura! What did you tell the boss now about my ballet?!" Mazeppa demanded, her eyes flicking to Rose.

Tessie clucked in irritation, glaring at Mazeppa, "You got awful timing, anyone ever tell you that?"

Mazeppa grinned, putting two and two together and realizing what she interrupted. "Why's that? Did I interrupt somethin'?"

"No! I mean, n-No," Rose answered, throwing the costumes into the suitcase along with the music before pulling her coat on and grabbing her handbag. "I was just-just leaving." She was blushing furiously as she walked by Tessie and Mazeppa, her eyes lingering on the blonde longer than was appropriate. "Night, Mazeppa. … G-Good Tessie, night. I mean goodnight, Tessie! I- Bye."

She all but ran from the building, trying to ignore the heat that was throbbing between her thighs and the way her body seemed to want her to be running into the blonde's arms.

"I hate you," Tessie growled, plopping into her seat at the vanity as she watched Rose disappear.

"No you don't," Mazeppa smiled, leaning on the vanity and grinning wickedly.

The blonde sighed, shaking her head as she fiddled with a necklace and crossed her legs.

"You made a move," Mazeppa guessed, knowing the feelings that Tessie harbored for the redhead. "Did she deck ya?"

Tessie scowled, "No. She didn't deck me."

The brunette's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped in a silent, playful gasp. "Did I _interrupt somethin'_?" she repeated, emphasizing the words.

She pursed her lips in irritation.

Mazeppa smiled, nudging the blonde playfully. "I'm just jealous I didn't make a move first. She's…" she waggled her eyebrows suggestively, winking. "She have nice-?" she moved her hands in front of her own chest. "They look big. Is that the dress, or…? …What's wrong?"

"Shut up. Go back to your dressin' room," Tessie snapped, swatting her.

"What? I just wanna know!"

"Get _out!_"

* * *

"Herbie?" Rose whispered, creeping into their bedroom. She dropped her handbag by the door, shutting it quietly before tiptoeing to their bed and nudging him gently. "Herbie."

"Mmmnm?" he grumbled, still mostly asleep.

She peeled her coat from her arms before removing her skirt and blouse and slipping into bed beside him, pulling at his shoulder. "Herbie."

"What?"

"Wake up."

He opened one eye, looking at her, "I'm awake, what is it?"

"I-I love you, you know that, right?" she asked, tracing light patterns on his arm.

He closed his eyes, "I know, Rosie. I love you, too. And we'll be married in a week." He smiled.

She stared at him, her body still burning after her encounter with Tessie. "I- Her-Honey? Can we-?"

"What, Rose?"

"Can we-?" she hummed quietly, hoping he would understand her meaning as she continued running her finger up and down his arm.

"'Can we sing'?" he asked tiredly. "I don't think we should sing right now, Rose. The girls are all asleep. They don't wanna rehearse."

"No!" she sighed in exasperation, searching for a way to ask him politely. "Can _we_ -?"

"Honey, I don't sing. You know that. I'm-"

"No! Not singing, Herbie!" she growled, irritated. "I want… I wanna make love."

"Oh. Oh!" his eyes sprang open and he looked at the way she was nervously biting her lower lip. "Oh, honey."

He leaned in and covered her plump lips with his, surprised when she eagerly rolled on top of him and deepened the kiss. She quickly unclasped her bra, discarding it as she moved to remove her panties before rolling off of him and pulling at his boxers.

"Come on," she growled when he didn't move fast enough. "Take 'em _off_."

"What's _wrong_ with you, Rose?" he asked, pausing and looking at her.

She looked into his eyes and saw Tessie's reflected in his. She growled again, pulling his boxers from him and pulling him on top of her. She groaned when he slid into her, moving slowly.

"Faster," she pleaded, moving her hips against his urgently as she pictured the blonde. "Mmm- Faster!" She threw her head back, imagining Tessie.

"Rose," he whispered, kissing her neck as he obeyed and moved faster.

"_Rose."_

"Harder!"

She pictured the pretty blonde's slender fingers moving over her breasts as they had earlier, as Herbie's were doing now.

_Tessie pressed her lips to Rose's, her fingers tracing light patterns on her inner thigh. She gently pushed two fingers into the redhead's velvet heat, rocking them upward._

Rose gasped and let out a deep groan, arching. "Yes, more!"

"_That's right," Tessie cooed, her breath hot in Rose's ear. "Let Tessie make it all better." _

_She ran her thumb over Rose's clit as she rocked her long fingers upward again, their tips hitting her g-spot and making her croon. She rocked her fingers faster, pushing deeper and adding a third finger. _

_The blonde's lips descended on her breasts, kissing them slowly as her free hand gently worked her left one._

Rose squealed, squeezing Herbie between her thighs. "Yes! God, yes!"

Herbie continued kissing her breasts, his fingers putting teasingly light pressure on her left breast as Rose continued rocking her hips against his. "Rose," he mumbled, kissing her right nipple. "Rose, I love you."

"_Rose," the blonde whispered, her fingers working faster between Rose's thighs as she kissed her right nipple. "Rose, I love you."_

"Tes-!" she covered her mouth with her hand, moaning loudly around it as she attempted to stifle the name that had slipped from her lips. She was trembling, unbearably close to her peak as she felt Herbie swell inside her. She dove back into her fantasy.

_Tessie giggled, "That's right, Rose. Let it out. I wanna hear you." She pushed against her clit again, her fingers rocking upward as she swirled her tongue around the rosy bud._

Rose moaned again, panting and whimpering, "Please! Pl-Please!"

_Tessie kissed and sucked at her neck, her fingers pressing against the hard bump on her inner wall as she ground the heel of her hand against Rose's clit._

She let out a ragged wail of ecstasy as her orgasm crashed around her in waves, her muscles clenching around Herbie. He let out a grunt, releasing within her before he collapsed.

Breathless, she pushed him off of her, still thinking of Tessie as her body continued to pound with her recent orgasm. She swallowed, her mouth dry, as she tried to remember the way Tessie's skin had felt against her own, the way Tessie's lips had been so soft as they caressed her neck, the way Tessie had _tasted _when they kissed. She hugged herself tightly, her thoughts still on the blonde stripper, as she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you coming, Rose?" Herbie asked, leaning into the dressing room Louise shared with Tessie.

"Yeah, I'll-" Tessie shot her a look and she blushed, shaking her head and staring into the suitcase. "Actually, I'm gonna be a bit longer. I wanna clean up a bit and then I'll be home."

"Okay, honey," he smiled, coming into the room and leaning down for a kiss as Rose turned her head at the last second so he kissed her cheek instead. "I'll see you at the hotel."

"Mmhmm," she nodded, smiling up at him until he left. She was highly aware of the blonde closing the door behind him. "What-ahem-What do you want, Tessie?"

"What's wrong, Rose?" Tessie asked, kneeling in front of the redhead and running her hands up her thighs. Rose stiffened. "Like that. And you've been avoiding me all day."

Rose averted her eyes as she gently removed the blonde's hands from her thighs. "Wh-What did you tell Mazeppa about me?" she whispered.

"Nothin', I swear!" Tessie's bright eyes were wide with expression as she blinked up at Rose. "Why would you think I said anything?"

"She pinched me. And she's been makin' faces at me all day. And winking. Like she _knows_."

"I didn't say _anything_!"

"Good," Rose said, standing up. "G-Good. Cause there's nothin' to tell. It was a mistake. Nothin' happened." She paced the room nervously, gesturing wildly and refusing to look at the blonde.

Tessie exhaled, forcing a smile as she stood up. "Right. Nothin' to tell. Nothin' happened."

"Okay," Rose nodded, crossing to the suitcase where the girls had thrown their dresses and picking one up with shaking hands to fold it. "Good. Okay." She blinked back tears, biting her lower lip as she faced away from Tessie.

"_Rose?"_

"_Mmm?"_

_She nuzzled against the back of Rose's neck, molding her body to the other woman's. "I'm glad it happened." She snaked her arms around Rose's waist, hugging her close and kissing her neck._

_Rose swallowed, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, as she dropped the dress back into the suitcase and covered Tessie's hands with her own. "Me too," she breathed, leaning her weight backwards and into the blonde. Her eyes drifted close and she brought one of Tessie hands to her lips, kissing her palm before sucking on each of her fingers. "I had a dream last night," she whispered between the heavy kisses she was leaving on the blonde's palm._

_Tessie bit her lip, holding back a light moan as Rose's lips and tongue glided over her skin. "Y-You did?"_

"_Mmhmm," Rose purred, running the blonde's hands over the swell of her breasts so that she could switch her attention to Tessie's left hand._

"_What happened?" she asked, running her right hand back up Rose's stomach so she could press her palm against Rose's breast and massage it gently._

_Rose grinned naughtily, licking a path from Tessie's wrist to the end of her middle finger. "Tessie made it all better."_

_Tessie quickly spun the redhead around, pushing her against the nearest wall and crashing their lips together. She ran her hands under Rose's blouse, guiding her arms up and pulling it over her head before pressing her lips back to the redhead's urgently. Rose parted her lips, slipping her tongue into the blonde's mouth and tasting her. _

_Rose broke the connection of their lips, leaning closer to leave a trail of kisses and bite marks down the side of the blonde's neck and Tessie moaned in response, her fingers excitedly exploring the other woman's full breasts._

"_Rose, I want you so much," Tessie whispered, tipping her head back as Rose hungrily tasted her skin and moaned lightly against her. _

_Rose pushed the left strap of Tessie's costume down, leaving hot, open-mouthed kisses along her shoulder and down the front of her chest to her heaving breast. Her fingers traced the lining of the bejeweled brassiere, searching for the clasp and unhitching it before letting it fall to the floor. She took one of the blonde's breasts in her left hand, working it purposefully, as she kissed and sucked at the other, swirling the tip of her tongue around its rosy peak. _

_Tessie moaned loudly in response, urging her on, "Rose!"_

"Rose?"

She jumped, feeling a pair of hands run up her back. "Yea?" She forced herself to swallow, her mouth unbearably dry and her body pounding from the daydream she'd lost herself in.

"Are you okay? You look distracted. And you haven't even finished folding that first dress."

"What? Oh," Rose shook her head and dropped the dress back into the suitcase, running her fingers through her red curls and taking a deep breath before picking up the same dress and starting to fold it. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." She could feel how flushed she was, could feel her body shaking with desire as Tessie hovered behind her.

"You know, on-On second thought, maybe-Maybe I can still catch Herbie and the-And the girls," she dropped the dress back into the suitcase and picked up her handbag, refusing to look at Tessie as she collected her things. "Night."

"Wait!" Tessie squealed, her hand enclosing around the other woman's wrist.

"Tessie, please," Rose whispered, not turning around.

"Please what?" she asked, stepping between her and the door so that she could look into her eyes. "Rose, please don't cry."

"I'm not," the redhead lied, wiping at her eyes with her free hand.

"Ro-"

"Stop it. Stop making me think about the past and my feelings and everything. Just _stop!_" she begged, her chocolate orbs shining with tears. She pulled her hand out of the blonde's grasp. "You want your answer? Yeah. You and Mazeppa were right."

Tessie cocked her head to the side, blinking back at her in confusion.

"When I was married to my first husband, I played in burlesque cause he got laid off. I was a chorus girl and a rich patron took a liking to me and he got me my own act and my own dressing room. And then, after watching me sing and strip on stage, he came backstage and forced himself on me. And I never went back to the theater." She shook her head, laughing bitterly, "And, you know what? I don't know if he's Louise's father or if my first husband is. _Yes_, I was a strip-woman! _That's_ why I didn't want my girls to play in burlesque. _That's _why I said it's filth. And _that's_ why _I_ haven't been on stage since. So you can tell Mazeppa that you were right but will you _please_ let me go?!"

"Oh, Rose!" she moved to embrace the shorter woman but Rose kept talking, gesturing wildly.

"And I don't want Herbie to know any of that. Or that I thought about _you_ when we were making love last night. I don't want to think about it! I can't!"

"Shhh, it's okay, Rose. It's okay now," Tessie cooed, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Shhh, it's okay. I won't tell anyone." She held Rose tightly, running her fingers through her red curls soothingly. "Shhh… Let Tessie make it all better."

Rose stiffened, her eyes shooting open. "No, no, no, no, no!" She pulled away, shaking her head as she backed into the vanity.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern as she stepped closer.

"No. Tessie, please. I-I can't. I-I want-" She shook her head again, cutting herself off, "But I _can't_."

"Can't what, Rose?" the blonde asked, stepping closer until Rose had scooted into a seated position on the vanity. She stepped between the shorter woman's legs, repeating their positions from the night before, running her palms slowly up the redhead's thighs and under her skirt.

Rose's eyelids fluttered, finally closing as a light moan escaped her lips caused by Tessie's light caresses. "Tessie…"

"Shhh, it's okay, Rose," she whispered, her lips brushing against the other woman's ear. She kissed below her ear, her tongue tasting Rose's sweet skin.

Rose leaned into the blonde's touch, tilting her head back as her hands shook and hovered over Tessie's shoulders. "Oh, God," she panted, her breathing already labored as Tessie continued slowly kissing her neck and caressing her thighs. She tentatively brought her hands down on Tessie's shoulders, running them up and down her arms before threading her fingers in her blonde curls and guiding Tessie's mouth to her own.

Tessie eagerly returned the kiss, her tongue dancing with Rose's the instant the redhead parted her plump lips. She removed her hands from Rose's thighs to work between their bodies, slipping them under Rose's blouse and up her stomach. The fabric bunched and gathered above Rose's breasts as Tessie gently massaged them through her bra, finally breaking their kiss to pull the fairly elaborate blouse over her head and drop it to the vanity beside them.

Rose impatiently pulled Tessie's lips back to her own, caressing the blonde's cheek before gently running her fingers down her slender neck to rest her hand uncertainly against the bejeweled bodice. She followed the blonde's lead, trying to mimic the motions of Tessie's hand as the blonde's tongue ravished her mouth deliciously. She thought she would die when she felt Tessie's slim fingers slip under her bra cup to gently work her hot skin, the pad of her thumb gliding over her taut nipple. She whimpered into the blonde's mouth, caressing Tessie's tongue with her own as she pushed her palm harder against the jewels of her counterpart's costume. "Pl-Please, Tessie," she begged against the other woman's lips, her whole being craving the blonde.

Tessie moved her free hand back to the redhead's leg, slipping it under her skirt and up her thigh to run her fingertips teasingly against Rose's inner thigh, making Rose gasp. She moved her hand from Rose's breast to unhook her bra, discarding it on the floor.

She drew in a breath and held it as the blonde started kissing down her neck again, leaving a wet trail to her left breast before kissing the hardened peak. "Oh, God, Tessie… Oh, G-" she broke off in a low whimper as Tessie rubbed two of her fingers against her damp panties.

"Tessie just wants to make it all better," the blonde whispered, her lips against Rose's stomach. "Can't I make it better, Rose?" She was kneeling between the redhead's thighs, nuzzling against her stomach, as she blinked up at Rose.

Her whole body was pounding, her heart beating wildly in her throat, as she looked down into Tessie's brilliant blue eyes. She brushed a curl out of Tessie's face, biting her lower lip. "Please," she whispered, nodding.

Tessie's fingers curled around the elastic of Rose's panties as the redhead shifted her hips to let her whisk the panties from her legs and deposit them with Rose's bra on the floor beside her. She ran her hands along the redhead's outer thighs, pushing her skirt up and exposing her silken thighs to her hungry touch.

Rose drew in a shuddering breath, her eyes closing and her back arching, as Tessie trailed slow, deliberate kisses up her inner thigh. She whimpered softly, biting her bottom lip again, as she raised a shaking hand to hover above Tessie's head.

She clucked her tongue, nipping Rose's inner thigh playfully. "Relax and let yourself go. It's okay. With me it's okay, Rose." She ran her tongue along her counterpart's slit, tasting her and flicking the tip of her tongue across Rose's clit. Rose squeaked in response, her back arching and her fingers tangling in Tessie's golden locks. "That's right, Rose. Tessie's gonna make it all better." Her lips brushed against Rose's clit as she spoke, making the redhead croon. She slid her tongue into the redhead's velvet heat, teasing, as she ran her fingernails up and down her thighs.

"Oh, God! Tessie!" Rose moaned, her eyes tightly closed as she leaned back against the mirror. Her back arched again almost immediately as Tessie thrust three long digits into her, stretching her deliciously, and swirled the tip of her tongue around her clit. "Oh! Tess! There! Yes! Oh, God, yes!"

Tessie eagerly sucked on the redhead's clit, her fingers rocking upward as she pumped them in and out slowly.

"Fas-Mmmnnnmm!" she begged, panting as her body rocking in time to Tessie's ministrations. She threw her head back, moaning loudly, "Pl-Please! Deeper! Har-aaahhh!"

She thrust her fingers deeper into the redhead, moving them faster as she rocked them upward. She swirled her tongue around Rose's clit again before sucking roughly.

Rose almost screamed in response, her thighs closing around Tessie's ears as she flung one of her hands behind her head and gripped the mirror to steady herself. "Oh, GOD! Right there! Yes!! Tessie! Yes! Right-OH!"

"That's a gimmick if I _ever_ saw one," Mazeppa smiled, waggling her eyebrows as she drank in Rose's form.

Rose gasped, her eyes shooting open at the sound of Maeppa's voice as the door swung open. She reached beside her, scrambling for something to cover her bare chest "Tessie, stop. Stop. St-Mmmnmnmm!" Her voice broke off in a deep moan, her eyelids fluttering closed and her back arching again despite herself.

Tessie ignored the distraction and pushed her fingers upward again, searching and smiling when she found the hard bump on the redhead's inner wall. With a naughty growl, she rubbed her fingertips against it rhythmically as she kissed and sucked Rose's clit.

"TESSIE!!" Rose screamed, dropping the blouse she was using to cover her chest as her nerve endings exploded, white stars and colors swimming behind her eyes as her orgasm washed over her. "Te-Tess-Oh, GOD! TESSIE!!"

The blonde eagerly licked Rose's thighs clean, hungrily drinking her sweet juices as the redhead continued trembling above her. Tessie removed her fingers gently before standing up and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Can I help you?"

"The same way you helped Rose?" the brunette asked, poorly suppressing her laughter. Her eyes left Tessie, wandering back to Rose's heaving form.

Rose's body was slowly coming alive again and she grabbed her blouse, holding it to her chest with one hand and smoothing her skirt back down around her knees with the other as she blushed furiously. She slid off the vanity, kneeling to scoop up her bra and panties before walking to the other side of the vanity on shaking legs.

"Most people knock," Tessie spat, grabbing Mazeppa's arm as she moved to walk over to Rose.

At this, Mazeppa smiled again, amused. "I _did_ knock. Unsurprisingly, you didn't hear. But I understand. You were _busy. _And you didn't tell me her tits were _that_ big! Damn! No wonder you made a move!"

Rose blanched, trying to cover more of herself as she blinked back hot tears of embarrassment. She bit her bottom lip, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.

"Get out," Tessie growled, shoving the brunette backwards after chancing a look at Rose.

"I'm goin', I'm goin'," Mazeppa nodded, backpedaling as she continued watching the redhead. "I know you _sounded_ like you enjoyed yourself, but you just wait. I'm _way_ better," she winked.

Tessie angrily slammed the door in her face before turning and rushing to Rose's side.

Rose was stoically pulling her blouse over her head, having thrown her bra and panties in her handbag, as Tessie knelt beside her. "You told me you didn't tell Mazeppa anything about me," she whispered, her voice betraying her pain and anger even in a whisper.

"I didn't," Tessie shook her head as she took Rose's hand in hers. "I swear!"

Rose pulled her hand back angrily, pushing the blonde away before scooping up her purse and standing. "Don't lie to me, Tessie." She bit the inside of her cheek, forcing back tears. She stared into Tessie's crystal eyes, "Just-" She shook her head, closing her eyes and exhaling. "I should have known. I should've…" She shook her head again, stepping over the blonde and walking towards the door.

"Rose! I didn't! I swear! She asked yesterday but I didn't say anything!" Tessie swore, scrambling to her feet and rushing to block the door with her body.

"Get out of the way."

"No, Rose, you have to listen to me!"

"That's _Ms. Hovick_ to you," she ground out icily, moving her purse to her other shoulder as she drew herself to her full height. "Now, please get out of the way, _Miss Tura_."

"Rose-"

"Move," she growled, pushing the blonde out of the way before opening the door and striding determinedly to the door that led to the street. When she stepped out into the frigid night air, she leaned against the bricks, finally letting the tears slide down her cheeks.

"You certainly move fast, don't ya?" Mazeppa hovered in the doorway of the dressing room, having heard the whole argument. She stared at the blonde as she sat at the vanity.

Tessie whipped around, throwing down the makeup brush she had been fiddling with and getting in the brunette's face. "You _bitch_! Do you _know_ what you just did?!"

She stared back calmly, raising a hand and covering her mouth as she pretended to yawn.

Tessie glared, her anger bubbling precariously close to its boiling point.

"You should calm down," Mazeppa advised, still unfazed.

"Why? Gimme one good reason I shouldn't deck you."

"Because I, _clearly,_ see something you don't."

"Yeah? What's that?"

Mazeppa leaned in, her lips brushing the blonde's ear with every word, "She. _Likes_. You."

"What? You obviously don't know what you're talking about. She hates me," Tessie shook her head, defeated, as she went back to the vanity and flopped into the chair.

"You're an idiot," the brunette told her, leaning against the edge of the vanity.

She shook her head again, "No. I'm pretty sure she _hates_ me."

"You're pretty wrong then. Cause… She's pretty much in love with you."

Tessie blinked up at her in confusion, "What?"

"Were you _that_ distracted that you didn't hear the way she was calling your name? You were the only person in the world to her."

"Mazeppa, I was going down on her."

Mazeppa shook her head, "No. It wasn't just that she was screaming your name. It was the _way_ she was screaming your name. … Besides, you think I wouldn't have gone after her if she hadn't fallen for you? No, she's in love with you. If she wasn't, _I _would've been the one kneeling between her thighs and making her scream."

Tessie looked away, deep in thought.

"Think about what I said, Tess," she patted the blonde's shoulder twice as she stood up straight before walking out of the dressing room and leaving Tessie to her own devices.


	3. Chapter 3

"'It's okay, Rose.' 'Let Tessie make it better,'" Rose grumbled, throwing the girls' costumes into the suitcase. "'Let Tessie make it better.' Tessie can go to hell."

She didn't know why she had stayed behind again to clean up when everything in the room just made her think of the blonde and upset her more. But she had, promising Herbie that she wouldn't be back too late and that she'd be fine walking back alone.

Her eyes wandered to the vanity, the chair empty and Tessie no where to be found.

"Well, I don't care anyway," she announced to the empty dressing room as she angrily threw another dress into the suitcase. "I don't care _where_ she is just as long as she's not bothering me."

But she was still staring at the vanity, her heart pounding and liquid heat surging between her thighs, as memories assaulted her.

_Tessie's hands gliding up her thighs. "Tessie…"_

"No."

_Tessie's tongue caressing her neck. The feeling of Tessie's hot skin against her palms. "Pl-Please, Tessie."_

"I don't care. It meant nothing."

_Tessie's fingers curling and pumping in and out of her as Tessie's tongue assaulted her throbbing clit, bringing her to a shuddering climax_. _"Te-Tess-Oh, GOD! TESSIE!!"_

"NO!" Rose yelled at the vanity, turning her back to it. "No, no, no, no, no! I don't care. It didn't mean _anything_. It was just a stupid mistake."

_The pain in Tessie's eyes when she called her _Miss Tura_ and pushed her out of the way._

"I don't _care_," she muttered to herself, fiddling with one of the costumes. She heard the clicking of Tessie's heels, announcing her arrival.

"Rose?"

She stood straighter, not answering as she stared at the costume in her hand.

Tessie clicked closer, reaching out and running her fingertips up the line of Rose's back. "Rose? I'm glad you stayed. I wanna talk to you."

"I didn't stay for you. I stayed to clean up the costumes and get them ready for tomorrow," she answered, moving forward a step so that the blonde's fingers were no longer caressing her.

"Rose," she started, ignoring Rose's clipped answers. "I want you to know that I really didn't say anything to Mazeppa." She reached out and took the redhead's hand.

"I don't wanna hear it, Te- _Miss Tura_. I don't wanna hear anything you have to say," Rose told her, biting the inside of her cheek and pulling out of Tessie's grasp.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Rose. I swear! I didn't say anything!" she pressed herself against Rose's back.

"Don't touch me," she spat, pulling out of the blonde's grip again and taking several steps away, keeping her back to her.

"Rose! Listen to me!" Tessie demanded, hugging her from behind again.

Rose spun on her heel, pushing Tessie backward until her back collided with the wall and pinning her hands by her head. "Is this what you want, Tessie? You want my attention?" she challenged, her face inches from the blonde's.

Tessie's eyes were wide with fright, her mouth open in shock. "I-I-"

Rose cut her off, suddenly pressing her lips to the blonde's in a desperate, hungry kiss. She nipped at Tessie's lower lip, sliding her tongue into the blonde's mouth when she squeaked in surprise. Her tongue searched every inch of the other woman's mouth, tasting her and filling her own mouth with the taste she craved. Rose sucked on Tessie's lower lip, biting it again when Tessie struggled against her hold. She left a wet trail of bite marks down Tessie's neck to her shoulder, goosebumps erupting in the wake of her hot mouth as the cool air hit her skin. She released her grip on the blonde's hands long enough to pull the jeweled bodice from her breasts, throwing it to the floor before slamming her hands back against the wall.

Tessie moaned deeply, tilting her head back. Rose growled, her kisses trailing lower until her plump lips met one of the rosy peaks she sought. She kissed it gently, swirling her tongue around it teasingly. Tessie moaned again in response, struggling against Rose's grip and earning another bite--just hard enough to hurt and leave a mark. She pulled her hands out of the redhead's grasp to run her hands down Rose's front, pushing her backward as she tried to slip her fingers under Rose's blouse.

"You go to hell," Rose growled, her nails digging into the blonde's skin as she pushed her forcefully back to the wall and pressed her body against Tessie's. She brought her lips hungrily back to the blonde's, forcing her tongue into Tessie's mouth and massaging the other woman's tongue with her own. Rose ripped the flimsy butterfly from the front of Tessie's costume panties, throwing it to the floor. She pushed her palm against the other woman's sex, pinning one of Tessie's hands by her head again with her free hand.

Tessie gasped, breaking their kiss as she panted for a breath, her eyes tightly shut as Rose's fingers moved against her mercilessly. "Oh, fuck! Rose!" she moaned, her hips bucking against the redhead's hand. She grabbed Rose's shoulder, digging her nails into the fabric that covered it. "Yes!"

"Is this what you want?" Rose snarled, grinding the heel of her hand against the other woman's clit. She freed Tessie's other hand in order to move her own over the blonde's left breast as her mouth descended on the right.

"Fuuuck! Fuck! Oh, God! Rose!" she moaned, the fingers of her newly freed hand tangling in Rose's curls and pulling her plump lips harder against her breast. "There! Ye-YES! Right- Fuck!"

Rose roughly thrust three of her fingers past the blonde's g-string and into her wet heat, moving them quickly and pushing them as deep as she could, as she sank her teeth into Tessie's plump flesh, making the blonde groan and squeal in response. "I _hate_ you. You're filth," she breathed in the blonde's ear, her body pounding with desire just from touching Tessie and the noises the blonde was making. She moved her hand from Tessie's left breast, pushing past her skirt and panties to push against her own clit. Rose gasped in Tessie's ear, surprised at the pleasure she was giving herself, before biting into her lobe.

"Are you touching yourself?" Tessie panted before pulling the redhead's mouth to her own and slipping her tongue past Rose's full lips.

Rose groaned, pushing two fingers into herself, before pushing her fingers harder into Tessie. She bit the invading tongue with an angry growl before pushing on her own clit again and moaning.

"Fuck!" Tessie cried, the coppery taste of blood filling her own mouth. "Rose!"

She crashed their lips back together, biting Tessie's lower lip before her tongue pushed past her lips. She could taste Tessie's blood on her tongue before the blonde's tongue pushed back into her mouth and swarmed her senses with the tang of blood.

Tessie slipped her one of her hands into Rose's skirt and panties to add pressure to the redhead's fingers. Rose moaned thickly into their kiss in response, rocking her finger's upward against Tessie's g-spot. She broke their kiss, licking and biting back down Tessie's neck to where her neck and shoulder met. The blonde pulled her hand out of Rose's panties and slid it up her stomach, cupping her clothed breast.

"I hate you," Rose whimpered against the blonde's neck. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you." She pressed against her own clit and squealed, her sounds slightly muffled by Tessie's skin. Rose pushed the heel of her hand hard against Tessie's clit, rocking her fingers upwards against the blonde's g-spot, even as she muffled another cry by biting into her neck. The mix of pain and pleasure made Tessie scream in response, climaxing against Rose's hand even as she continued moving her fingers at an almost sadistic pace.

"Rose! Fuck! Jesus-FUCK!" she squealed, feeling her body inch closer to a second climax. "Rose!

She licked and sucked a path back to Tessie's lips, covering them with her own before running her tongue over the swell of the blonde's lower lip. Tessie moaned, parting her lips and letting her counterpart deepen the kiss as her back arched. Rose pressed her body flush against the blonde's as she rocked her fingers up and ground the heel of her hand against Tessie's clit again, doing the same with her other hand as she trembled on the brink of her own climax.

"ROSE!" she cried, barely muffled by Rose's tongue still exploring her mouth.

Rose sobbed, moaning loudly into Tessie's mouth as she came, her orgasm crashing around her. She broke their kiss, burying her face in the crook of Tessie's neck as she pulled her fingers out of herself and Tessie could have _sworn_ she heard the redhead mumble "What have you done to me?" against her skin.

She pulled her fingers gently from the blonde, still nuzzling against her neck and leaving soft kisses there. "I should go," she whispered. "Herbie'll be waiting for me."

"Don't," Tessie breathed, wrapping an arm around her and hugging her closer.

"I have to," Rose answered, her face still buried against Tessie's neck. She kissed her neck lightly before pulling away and scooping up her coat and handbag. She smiled weakly, hesitating before she went back and pressed herself against Tessie and kissed her before striding out of the dressing room, a flush creeping up her features.

Just before she reached the door out of the theater, she decided to wash up before going back to Herbie and the hotel. She opened the door to the bathroom, dropping her coat and purse on the floor by her feet as she rubbed soap onto her hands and started scrubbing them clean. She was humming quietly to herself, so she didn't know Mazeppa was behind her until the brunette pinched her bottom, making her jump.

'Oh, Mazeppa! You scared me half to death!" Rose forced a laugh, going back to washing her hands and hoping the brunette wasn't planning on bringing up the events from the day before.

"Sorry," she smiled, leaning against the wall beside the sink Rose stood at. "So…"

Rose looked nervously back at her hands, running them under the water and rinsing the suds from them. "… So?"

"So, from the sounds I heard Tessie making, you certainly know what you're doing," Mazeppa commented, smiling as Rose turned a brighter shade of crimson. "But then, Tessie told me that anyway. Mind you, _I_ thought that calling you the 'perfect quickie' was kinda harsh. But Tessie has always been a bit of a player."

"I'm sorry, what?" Rose asked, looking into Mazeppa's shining hazel eyes despite her embarrassment. "She said _what _about me?"

"Said you were the 'perfect quickie,' a 'great way to relieve tension.' She called you easy. And gullible. Then again, she was determined to get between your thighs since the first day you got here. But, you know Tessie: always goes after the new girl. But I guess that's probably not new for you. Every house of burlesque has a stripper who does that. Tessie's ours."

"Wh-What do you mean? Why wouldn't that be new to me?" Rose stuttered, the water still running over her hands.

"Well, Tessie told me how you was a strip-woman when you was younger. So, I assume that the house you played in had _someone_ like Tessie. Though," she laughed, "Tessie has almost made it an art form. She likes to make 'em fall in love with her."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Rose ground out, blinking back tears as she looked back at her hands. "I've never done-_Never _done burlesque. And I'm _not_ in love with Tessie. I-I don't know what she's told you, but she is obviously _lying_." She shook her head, turning off the water and leaning to get a paper towel.

Mazeppa nodded sympathetically, handing her several paper towels. "You didn't know about the games Tessie plays? I'm sorry, Rose." She moved to pull the redhead into an embrace but Rose shook her head, squatting to pick up her things.

She opened and closed her mouth several times, before wiping away a stubborn tear. "I've never played in burlesque, Mazeppa. I don't know why she told you that. And I don't know _what_ happened yesterday. She must have slipped something into my drink. Cause I am _not_ interested in women." She forced back more tears, her whole body trembling with her determined effort.

"Oh, Rose! Don't cry!" Mazeppa cooed, pulling the shorter woman into an embrace. "Shhh, it's okay. Tessie has this effect on a lot of women. She uses people. She did the same thing to me. I'm sorry I didn't warn you. I didn't think it would be an issue cause, like you said, you're not interested in women. I'm so sorry!"

Rose broke, the tears flowing down her cheeks as she let Mazeppa guide her into a seated position on the tiled floor. The brunette handed her more paper towels and she gratefully took them, muffling her tears before blowing her nose as she let Mazeppa cradle her closely and rock her back and forth.

"You know, I've never done anything like that before," Rose told Mazeppa between sobs. "I-I would never in my wildest _dreams_ have cheated on Herbie. Especially not with a woman! I mean, I love him! We're supposed to get married this Sunday. And-Oh, Mazeppa, _please_ don't tell Herbie! Please! I can't lose him!"

"Oh, honey, of course not! Your secret is _safe_ with me," Mazeppa nodded, taking one of Rose's hands in both of hers and putting it over her own heart. She gently kissed the back of the redhead's hand. "I _swear_, I won't say anything."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Rose cried, hugging the other woman. "I just, I can't believe this happened. I can't _believe_ the way Tessie, like, _attacked_ me. I mean, she practically jammed her tongue down my throat. What could I do?"

"You couldn't do anything other than what you did, Rose," she answered, her fingers slowly working their way towards the other woman's knee. "Not that I'm _surprised_ that she went after you the way she did. I mean, you're beautiful." Rose blushed. Mazeppa nuzzled her nose against Rose's neck, placing a feathery light kiss there. "And you're sexy. Of course she went after you. She'd have to be blind not to see how gorgeous you are."

Rose blushed a darker shade of crimson, her eyelids fluttering as Mazeppa trailed slow kisses up the side of her neck. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly very dry, as she realized that Mazeppa's fingers were tracing light patterns across her thigh. "I-I-I-" She took a deep breath before taking Mazeppa's hand in both of hers and brought it to her lips, kissing the back of her hand lightly before putting it back in the brunette's lap. "Thank you for listening, Mazeppa. You're really sweet." She sighed as she pushed herself into a standing position. "I really have to go, though. Herbie's gonna think I'm murdered in a ditch somewhere if I don't get back soon."

"Is he gonna come get you?" she asked, concerned. Rose shook her head as Mazeppa stood up as well. "It's really late. Is it really safe for you to walk back alone? I mean, I know you can handle yourself, but you're so upset right now. If you don't mind waiting for me to get changed, I'd be happy to walk you back to your hotel." She reached out and took one of Rose's hands in her own again, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I-" she bit her lower lip before nodding and squeezing the brunette's hand in return. "I'd like that, Mazeppa. Thanks."

"Of course, Rose," Mazeppa smiled before leading the redhead to her dressing room.

Rose sat at the vanity, staring awkwardly at her feet as she tried to ignore the fact that the brunette was changing in front of her.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head, still staring at her feet, "I'm f-fine."

"You seem- I don't know… Upset? Tense?" Mazeppa was well aware of the way Rose had looked instantly to the floor when she'd taken off her colorful bodice. She'd seen the way the redhead's eyes had followed the movement of her fingers as she removed the straps before she reached behind herself and undid the clasp. They'd bulged as they caught the sight of Mazeppa's firm breasts before she bowed her head and stared at her feet. What she _didn't_ know was if her body was having any effect on Rose.

"No. A-Are you sure you don't want me to w-wait outside?" she stuttered, seeing the brunette's heels come into her field of vision.

"And risk you having to see Tessie? Absolutely not! I feel bad enough for not warning you! Besides," she curled her index finger under Rose's chin, forcing her to look at her, "we're friends, right? So there's no harm in me changing in front of you. I mean, you're not interested in women, so I can be naked in front of you."

"Ri-Right," Rose nodded, forcing a smile. She couldn't quite suppress a gasp when Mazeppa pulled her into a hug, her face suddenly cradled against the other woman's bare breasts.

"Anyway," Mazeppa sighed, releasing her hold on a shocked Rose. If her flushed face and racing pulse were any indicator, she _was_ having an effect on the redhead. "I'd better get dressed so I can walk you home."

Rose sat in shock, her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted, not having moved. "I-I- Right. Okay." She clenched her hands tightly in her lap, unsure of why she was so nervous. She had seen naked women before: her daughters, the girls in the act when she was assisting in costumes. Why, then, was _Mazeppa_ having this effect on her? And why did Tessie? Why did the sight of their firm breasts, the softness of their milky skin, make her heart race and heat pool between her thighs? She crossed her legs and looked down at her shaking hands. "Right. Yeah."

"Rose, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," she shook her head, still staring at her hands. "I just-" She bit her lower lip, sighing. "Te-Tessie told me that you and her talked about me before and-and said that I had… _Lesbian_ tendencies. Wh-Why did-What made you say that?"

"Oh, I don't know. I guess just… The way you looked at us sometimes. Or the way you reacted if we brushed against you. Just little stuff. Like eye contact. Or staring too long. Why?" Mazeppa cocked her head to one side, confused at where this conversation was going.

"I- Are _you_ a _lesbian_?" she asked, looking up as Mazeppa started buttoning her blouse.

The brunette laughed quietly in response, "Why do you say it that way? You can say it louder than a whisper. Lesbian. Lesbian. Les-"

"Stop. Please?" Rose interrupted her, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink. "Just- Are you?"

She didn't answer at first, just finished buttoning her blouse before pulling on a skirt. "Yeah, Rose. I am." She stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her blouse.

"How do you know?" she whispered, staring at her hands again as she played with the hem of her skirt.

"What? Why are you asking?"

"Cause I _liked_ it," Rose breathed, still staring at her hands.

"Liked what, Rose? What are you saying?" Mazeppa moved in front of her, squatting so she could look into her eyes.

Tears shone brightly in her chocolate eyes. "N-Nothing. Nevermind. Forget it. Let's go," she stood up, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hands.

"Rose, what _is_ it? You can tell me. Friends, remember?" she grabbed Rose's wrist, pulling her back until she had sat back down.

"Nothing, Mazeppa. Don't worry about it. It's nothing. Crazy talk. Can we go?"

"Rose, _what_?"

Rose closed her eyes, forcing a slow breath out. "What Tessie did to me, what I did to her, the way it _felt_ when she touched me, _everything_. I-I liked it, Mazeppa! An-And I don't know what that _means_. What does it _mean_, Mazeppa? Does it-Am I-?"

"Shhh, it's okay," the brunette pulled her into a hug only to have Rose pull away immediately.

"Please, please don't touch me. I-I can't _take_ any more confusion and it-it _confuses_ me when you touch me. Please," she begged, shaking her head as she closed her eyes tightly.

Mazeppa reached out a hand and tentatively took the redhead's hands in her own, "It's _okay_, Rose. It's okay. It doesn't have to mean _anything_, sweetie. You're happy with Herbie, right?"

Rose nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks, before she started shaking her head. "Not the way I was with her, Mazeppa. I _love_ Herbie but he doesn't make me _feel_ the way she did… Not physically. He and I have been together for almost eight years and I-I don't remember ever _feeling_ this way before. I don't know-know what to _do_. I don't know what this _means_."

"I think… I think I should take you home, Rose," the brunette said, standing up and grabbing her coat.

"No!" Rose cried, reaching out and grabbing Mazeppa's wrist. She fell out of the chair, clinging to her desperately as she kneeled in front of her. "Please? I n-need to know what this means. Tell me what it means, Mazeppa!"

Mazeppa moved forward, cradling the redhead's face against her stomach and threading her fingers through her curls as Rose hugged her around her middle. "I-I think that if you have to _ask_, you already _know_," she whispered, making the redhead cry harder. "Shhh, it's okay, sweetie. It's okay!"

"But it's not! I-I _can't_ be a-a-a _lesbian_, Mazeppa. I _can't_! I have daughters and a fiancé and I just-I _can't_!" her voice was muffled against the brunette's flat stomach.

She ran her fingers through Rose's curls, twirling one around her finger as she pulled the redhead tighter against her. "It's okay, Rose," she cooed. She tilted the woman's face up and leaned down, gently covering Rose's plump lips with her own.

Rose scrambled away, falling onto her back and crawling backwards. "Mazeppa, please, I-I can't do this to him again."

"I'm sorry," she offered the redhead her hand, helping her to her feet. "I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry. How about we get you home?"

Rose swallowed, nodding and hesitantly accepting Mazeppa's offered arm. The brunette walked her to the hotel she was staying at with Herbie and the girls, leaning in and pressing a light kiss to her cheek before squeezing her hand and walking in the other direction. She barely made it through the door before Herbie had collected her in his arm, hugging her tightly and crushing her to him.

"I was worried sick, Rose!" he whispered in her red curls.

She didn't hug him back, just pulled herself out of his grasp and shakily made her way towards their bedroom. "I'm fine." She just wanted to lay down and succumb to sleep, hopefully a dreamless one.

"Mama!" Louise came out of a bedroom and pulled her into an embrace.

"Hi, baby," she forced a smile, wrapping her arms around her daughter's trim waist and dropping her bag to the floor.

"Mama, I was so worried! Why are you home so late?"

"Louise, baby, I'm fine. Your ma's a tough old broad," she wiped at her tears before they could roll down her cheeks and betray her to Herbie and Louise.

"Did something happen, Rose?" Herbie asked, pulling her out of Louise's grasp and spinning her to face him. "Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

"Herbie, don't be silly. I'm fine. Nothing happened. I just meant that _if_ something happened, I could handle myself," she slid out of his grasp again, kissing Louise's forehead before stooping and picking up her bag.

"Oh! Mama! You'll never guess what me and the girls learned! You have to see!"

"What's that, baby?"

Louise adopted a face of mock snootiness as she bent her knees and went into the second position of ballet. She raised her arms above her head like a ballerina, moving her hips in a circle as she spoke, "'Meet ya round the corner in a half _hour_!'"

Rose's eyes went wide. "Oh. That's, um… Very nice, baby."

"Tessie taught us," Louise smiled happily, proud of herself.

She took a deep breath in through her nose, pursing her lips in anger at the mention of the blonde's name, "Never do that again. I don't-_Never_ do that again. Do you hear me, Louise? And I want you to tell the girls the same thing."

"Y-Yes, Mama," the girl nodded.

"Good. Now go to bed, baby," Rose forced a smile, leaning forward and kissing Louise's cheek before moving her head in the direction of the bedroom.

"Rose," Herbie breathed, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I was worried. And I _missed_ you." He kissed below her ear and she went rigid.

"I-I-I should really go to bed. I'm-" she forced a yawn, "_exhausted_." She pulled nimbly out of his grasp and slipped into their bedroom. Rose pulled her blouse over her head before throwing it and her bra with the dirty clothes and pulling her nightgown over her head. Then she pulled her skirt and panties down her legs and added them to the pile of laundry that needed doing. "Night, Herbie." She slid between the covers and laid her head down, closing her eyes and praying he wouldn't try to talk to her.

Her prayers went unanswered as Herbie came into the room and slid under the covers beside her, his hands caressing her sides. "What's wrong, honey? You seem upset. Are you sure nothing happened?"

"Nothing happened, Herbie. Let it go," she squeezed her eyes closed tighter, trying to ignore the way his touch was making her skin crawl. _This_ had never happened to her before. His touch never set her aflame the way Tessie's or Mazeppa's did, but it _never_ made her itch to get away from him. She moved slightly, rolling further away in the bed. "I'm just tired."

Herbie leaned against her again, nuzzling against her curls before kissing behind her ear, "How tired? Cause I wanna…" He slid his hand down her side and pulled her nightgown up, exposing her silken thighs to his touch. He was more than a little confused when she pushed both her nightgown and his hand back down her leg.

"Not tonight, honey."

"What?" he asked, not so much as angry as incredibly surprised. She had never _turned down_ the prospect of sex before. "Not… What?"

"Not tonight," she repeated, still facing away from him. She closed her eyes, only to have images of Tessie and Mazeppa assault her. Both of their glorious forms, their firm breasts, their flat stomachs, their soft skin. Her eyes shot open again.

"Really?" he asked. "Rose, what's _wrong_? Are you sick? Are you hurt? What happened?" He leaned on his elbow before rolling her to face him.

"Nothing, Herbie. I just don't wanna. Can't we leave it? I don't have to _want_ to all the time," she answered, her voice coming out in an angry growl despite herself.

"You don't _have_ to, no. You just… _Always_ have. Are you sure you're okay?"

Her bright brown eyes met his blue ones and she read his profound pain and instantly regretted snapping at him. She forced a smile, "Of _course_ I'm okay, Herbie. If something was wrong, you'd be the first person I'd tell. You know that, honey. I-I love you." She leaned forward, planting a chaste kiss on his lips before pulling away. "It's just-It's been a long day, honey. A _really_ long day. It's fine."

He nodded, scooting closer to her in bed and nuzzling his nose in the crook of her neck. His hand was gliding up her thigh again, caressing. He kissed a spot below her ear, sucking lightly, "As long as you're sure everything's okay, honey."

"Yeah, it's fine," she sighed, running her tongue over her teeth in an effort to control her anger. She tried to scoot away again, pushing his hand from her thigh.

He bit playfully at her earlobe, tugging at it with teeth. "I _missed_ you today. Is there anything I can do to make your day less… _Long_?" He moved his hand over her stomach, drawing light patterns with his fingertips.

"Herbie, I said I don't _want_ to," she pushed his hand from her stomach, roughly this time. "_Stop_."

He leaned over her, his arms on either side of her head, and covered her lips with his. "What's wrong, Rosie?" He kissed down her neck, kissing and sucking gently.

"Get off, Herbie," she sighed, trying to twist out of his grasp.

"What's wrong?" he kissed back up the side of her neck before covering her lips with his.

"Mmmphm!" she wriggled underneath him, whipping her head to the side. "Damn it, I said get _off_!" She pushed him off and away from her, jumping out of bed and glaring angrily. "God! What's _wrong_ with you?"

"Me? Rose, you're the one that's acting weird! And you won't even tell me what's upsetting you!"

"_Nothing_ is wrong, Herbie. I-Just _drop_ it, okay? I just don't _want_ to tonight."

"But you _always_ want to! That's what I don't understand. The other night you _woke me up_ so we could make love. And now you won't even let me _touch_ you!"

"The obvious answer is to _stop touching me, _then, isn't it?! God! It's not difficult! Just _leave me alone_ for _one_ night! Goddamnit, Herbie!" she was pacing, now, gesturing wildly as tears formed in her eyes. "Is that _so_ much to ask? _GOD_, Herbert! Just _one_ damn night I wanna go to sleep. Just _one!_"

"Rose, what is _wrong_ with you?! You're acting like a _crazy_ woman!"

"Don't you _dare_ insult me! I am _not_ acting crazy! How _dare_ you?!"

"Rose-"

"I'm sleeping in Louise's room tonight. Don't follow me," she ordered, turning on her heel and marching determinedly out of their room.

"Rose!"

She sank to the floor outside their bedroom, burying her face in her knees as she wept. She knew it wasn't Herbie's fault but she couldn't go back to him, not knowing what she did now about herself. Not now that she knew she was a _lesbian_. Going back and laying with him would just be a lie. And he didn't _deserve_ that. He'd always been so good to her. She didn't _want_ to hurt him. _Why_ did she have to find out about this _now_, less than a week before her wedding?

"Goddamn it," she sobbed.


	4. Chapter 4

She whimpered, forcing herself to swallow as her fingers moved faster between her thighs, "Oh, God. Oh, G- Mmnm."

She bit into her lower lip as she leaned more heavily against the wall in the changing room. "Tes- Oh, _God_."

Her girls were on stage, dancing and doing the act she'd made up for them. And she was hiding in the changing room and touching herself, giving into her body's pleas after seeing the blonde strip on stage.

She hadn't _meant_ to see Tessie at all. Not after the cruel things the blonde had said about her, calling her easy and the "perfect quickie." She had intended not to see Tessie ever again so she _certainly _hadn't meant to see her strip. But Agnes-Amanda or whatever the hell her name was _that_ day had dragged her to the wings to show her something about the blonde's costume. And then she hadn't been able to tear herself away. She'd stood in the wings, her mouth dry and her panties wet, and watched desperately as Tessie had danced and flaunted her body, her own body pounding with desire for the woman.

When the blonde's number was over, she practically _flew_ to Mazeppa's dressing room to hide in the changing room and collect herself. She told herself that it was wrong, that she _hated _the blonde cause she had used her and lied to her and made a fool out of her. But the harder she tried to deny her body's begging, the more memories of the previous nights assailed her.

_Tessie's fingers curling and pumping in and out of her as Tessie's tongue assaulted her throbbing clit, bringing her to a shuddering climax_. _"Te-Tess-Oh, GOD! TESSIE!!" _

_The blonde's groans and squeals as she pushed three of her fingers past the butterfly g-string, burying them in Tessie's wet heat. "Fuuuck! Fuck! Oh, God! Rose! There! Ye-YES! Right- Fuck!"_

She'd given in, hiking her skirt up with trembling hands before pushing her fingers past the elastic of her panties. Her knees almost gave out when she finally pressed against her clit, a small whimper catching in her throat.

"Oh, G-gee-Oh, God!" she breathed, clawing at the wall with her left hand as the fingers of her right moved faster, pushing deeper. She squeaked when her fingertips brushed against her g-spot, her eyes tightly closed as she pictured the blonde's perfect body; her long, tanned legs, her full, round breasts.

She bit her bottom lip again, hard enough to draw blood as she whimpered and threw her head back against the wall. "God. Oh, God. Oh, G-ahh…" her voice trailed off in a low moan and she rocked her fingers upward, grinding the heel of her hand against her throbbing clit. "Fuck!" she gasped sharply, tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she climaxed against her own hand. She slid down the wall in a heap, her knees tucked under her.

Almost stoically, she pulled her fingers out of herself and smoothed her skirt down as she stared at the blank wall opposite her and let out a shuddering breath. She didn't even jump when the door to the changing room was pulled open.

"Rose?"

"Mm?"

Mazeppa stepped into the small changing room, closing the door behind her before sitting down next to the redhead. "Honey, what's wrong?"

Rose shook her head, still staring at the wall and hating herself.

"Honey?"

"Nothing," Rose sniffed, wiping her eyes with the heel of her left hand before wiping her nose with the back of it as her right hand sat in her lap.

"Rose, what is it?" Mazeppa asked, reaching for the redhead's right hand.

"No!" she croaked, tugging it against her chest and away from the other woman. "N-Nothing. I-" She shook her head, tears reforming in her chocolate brown eyes.

"Honey, what's _wrong_?" the brunette asked, running her first two fingers up and down Rose's upper arm in an attempt to calm her down. "Why are you crying on the floor of the changing room? Talk to me. Friends, remember?"

Rose replaced her right hand in her lap, biting the inside of her cheek as watched the fingers of her left hand play with the buckles of her heels. "I-I saw Tessie," she whispered, not looking at Mazeppa for fear that the brunette would be able to tell what she felt for the blonde stripper.

"Did she say something?" Mazeppa asked, instantly concerned. "Rose, did she say anything?"

"No. N-No. I didn't-didn't talk to her. I just-I saw her. She was on-onstage and doing her act. And-" she took a deep breath, unable to finish the story.

"And you wanted her," the brunette finished for her in a whisper.

Rose couldn't even nod; she just sat there, chewing the inside of her cheek again.

"Say it, Rose," Mazeppa urged.

She shook her head, "I can't. Mazeppa, I can't _feel_ that way. I'm getting married in _four days_. I _don't want women_. I _can't_ want women."

"Yes you can, _all_ the lesbians I know are married to men."

Rose blinked up at her in confusion. "I thought-"

Mazeppa laughed, shaking her head, "No. I know what you're thinking. They married men for stability. But they still have _sex_ with women on a pretty regular basis. It's some bisexual compromise or something…" She shook her head again. "Whatever. Anyway, you can marry Herbie and still be with a woman."

Rose shook her head in response, "Herbie would _never_ agree to that." She seemed to catch herself and added on, "If I even _wanted_ that, I mean--and I don't! But _if_ I did, he would never agree to that."

"So don't tell him. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. And it'll make _you_ happy, Rose. Isn't that you what you want?" she asked, leaning closer as Rose stared at her with big doe eyes. "Don't you wanna make Herbie happy but still be happy yourself?"

"Yes," the redhead breathed, looking back to her lap again.

"See? It'll be okay."

"No. I _can't_ want Tessie. I _don't_. I- No," Rose whispered.

"But-"

"_No_, Mayzie," she interrupted, shaking her head and looking back at the brunette. "After what she said about me? The-the _lies_ she told? I'll never forgive her. She- No."

"Rose, c-Can I-" Mazeppa faltered, breaking their gaze and staring at her own lap. "Rose, I-I _care_ about you. I like you. A lot. And I-I want you to be happy. So, I-I-"

Rose took a deep breath before tilting Mazeppa's chin up and pressing a tentative kiss to the corner of the other woman's lips, her face a bright crimson. "Thank you. F-For listening an-And being there. And for being honest with me. I-" she swallowed, looking away. "Thank you."

"I-uh-ahem," Mazeppa cleared her throat nervously. "You're welcome? I-I was happy to help. I-"

Rose bit her lip nervously, still blushing furiously, "I'll let you get changed." She pushed herself to her feet, automatically smoothing her skirt down as she stood before reaching for the doorknob.

"I-Rose!" the brunette grabbed her hand, stopping her before she could leave. "Do you- After my act, do you wanna talk some more? Maybe-uhm- Get a drink or something?"

"I-" she closed her mouth before nodding slowly. "That sounds great, Mayzie."

"Good. G-Good," Mazeppa nodded, standing as well. She leaned closer to the redhead before running her fingers through her hair and awkwardly leaning away. "Good."

"I'm gonna- Go now," Rose told the other woman, her voice betraying her uncertainty.

"Okay, yeah. Right. You-You should go now," the brunette agreed, nodding. "Rose?" The redhead stopped, her chocolate eyes meeting Mazeppa's hazel ones before the brunette nervously looked away. "I-Nothing. … Ro?" she grabbed Rose's hand again.

"Mm?"

"I-" Mazeppa took a deep breath before pressing her lips to Rose's, their fingers entwining as she tugged the redhead closer and slipped her free hand around the shorter woman's waist.

Rose was barely aware of what she was doing, her body taking control as she laced her own free hand behind the brunette's neck and hungrily pulled her closer. She parted her lips, a light moan escaping her plump lips before being swallowed in Mazeppa's hot mouth as their tongues danced together. She tugged her hand out of Mazeppa's grip to run her palm up the brunette's arm before settling it against the other woman's breast and squeezing tentatively. It wasn't until Mazeppa fingers worked their way under her blouse and skirted up her back that she froze and pulled out of the brunette's embrace.

"Oh, my God," she covered her mouth with both hands, backing away the few steps until her back hit the wall. "Oh, my God. I- I'm so sorry, Mazeppa. I d-I don't know what came over me. Oh, my God." She blinked back tears as she slid back to the floor. "Oh, my God. Oh, my _God_."

Mazeppa sank to the floor and knelt beside her, cradling her against her chest. "No! It's okay, honey. You're just- You're overwhelmed. I mean, it's a lot to deal with, realizing you're a lesbian. Especially when you're in the boat you're in: engaged to be married and _just_ having had sex with a woman for the first time," she was rambling, searching for any possible way to alleviate the other woman's pain and guilt.

"I'm a terrible person," Rose whispered, all but forgetting the presence of the other woman. "I-I-I'm terrible and awful and-and-and _easy_!"

"Don't say that! You're not easy! Your body is just-It's amazed at what it's finally feeling! That's all, Rose. That's all it is," she soothed, running her fingers through the soft, auburn curls and tugging the redhead closer. "And you don't have to apologize to me, Ro. I _like_ you. I-I'm glad you kissed me back when I kissed you. I would've felt really stupid if you hadn't."

The redhead closed her eyes as her body took charge again, allowing herself to be pulled tighter against Mazeppa's soft skin and ample breasts. She took a deep breath, the scent of the other woman's soap or shampoo assaulting her senses and captivating her.

"Mama?" Louise's voice jolted her out of her temporary reprieve.

Rose's eyes went wide and she pulled herself entirely out of Mazeppa's grasp before forcing herself to her feet and frantically wiping her eyes.

"Ro-"

"Get off," she hissed, pulling away even as the brunette reached for her again. "Louise is calling me. I have to go."

"But-"

"Not now," Rose said firmly before Mazeppa could even form a sentence. "Later?" her voice caught between a demand and a question. She sighed, nodding briskly, when Mazeppa nodded in response.

She ran the fingers of her left hand through her hair once, trying to make herself more presentable before pushing the door open and rushing to find her daughter. "What is it, baby? What's wrong?" she asked, gripping Louise's upper arms when she found her.

"Mama! Where were you? I looked everywhere-"

"What, baby?" Rose demanded, her nails digging into her daughter's skin.

"Herbie and Tessie are both looking for you. He wants to talk to you, I think about the wedding. And I think Tessie said she needs to talk to you, too," Louise answered dutifully, not understanding why her mother suddenly got so tense at the very mention of the blonde's name.

She chewed her bottom lip before taking a breath and forcing a smile, "Where's Herbie?"

"Tessie's dressing room."

"Of _course_ he is," Rose sighed before heading in that direction with her daughter in tow.

"What is it, honey?" she asked, scanning the room for the blonde before sighing inwardly and letting herself relax.

He got up at the sound of her voice, instantly moving toward her, "Where were you? I looked everywhere for you and-"

"Clearly you didn't look _everywhere_ or you would have _found_ me," Rose answered dryly, gesturing with her hands before resting them on her hips. "But that's beside the point, Herbie. What's wrong? What do you need?"

"It's about the wedding," Herbie answered, not wanting to push and ask where she'd been again for fear she'd get more upset than she already seemed to be.

"Really? We have to talk about the wedding _right now_? It can't _wait_ till we get back to the hotel?" focusing her irritation at everything else on this particular point. She knew none of this was really his fault, but she needed something she could _control_.

"Well, I was just-"

"No. Fine. Let's talk about the wedding. What about the wedding, Herbie? What about the wedding needs to be discussed _right now_?" she demanded, making her fiancé take a step backward.

"I wanted to know about which girls you wanted for bridesmaids and who you wanted to invite," he said quickly, hoping she would calm down once they _actually_ started discussing the wedding. "Amanda as one of the bridesmaids?"

"And Agnes," she sighed, conceding to the discussion with a wave of her hand before sitting at the vanity and crossing her legs.

"They're the same girl, honey," Herbie amended.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "And… Louise as maid of honor. What else?"

"That's it? You only want one bridesmaid? Shouldn't you have at least one more?"

"Fine, Herbie. Whatever. Pick another one of the girls. Dolores or Margerie Mae, whoever," she threw her hands up and leaned backwards.

"Okay," he nodded, not wanting to start a fight. "Um, other than the rest of the girls in the act, who did you want to invite? Electra? Mazeppa? I already invited Tessie, cause-"

"Why? Why would you do that? I don't want her at my wedding," Rose insisted, standing up again.

"But you two have been getting so close. I thought you liked her," he countered. "Besides, I already invited her."

"Well, then I guess you should _un-invite_ her," she ordered, pacing angrily.

"But, honey-"

"No," she interrupted. "No, no, no, no, no. I don't want that, that… _Trash_ at my wedding! I won't have her there. Ya wanna invite Electra? Fine. She seems like a nice broad. Mazeppa? Great. She's nice, too. But I will not have that _trash_ that parades about all 'holier-than-thou' at my wedding. Do you hear me? I won't have it!"

"Rosie-" Herbie started again.

"Herbie, I said I won't have it. That's all there is to it. I don't _want_ her there. I don't _like_ her. She's trashy and rude. And.. I don't _want_ her there. _Un-_invite her."

"I-" he stopped himself, nodding. "Okay, Rosie. I'll tell her she's not invited. And I'll talk to the girls about being bridesmaids."

Rose sat down heavily at the vanity again, "Thank you, honey." He nodded again, kissing her forehead gently before excusing himself and leaving her alone in the dressing room. She looked around, wondering vaguely when Louise had gone. Probably early, when she'd started snapping at Herbie. Louise hated seeing them fight. She sighed, closing her eyes and purposefully massaging her temples.

She jumped, the reprieve of her own invention shattered, when she heard heels click into the room. She stood, running her fingers through her hair and taking a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself.

"Rose!" Tessie smiled, stepping closer with her arms outstretched.

Rose clucked her tongue, sidestepping the blonde and trying not to look at her.

"Honey, what's wrong?" the blonde asked, reaching for Rose's waist and forcing her to turn around.

She glared at the taller woman, trying to ignore the feelings that seeing the blonde stirred up, trying to ignore the arousal that was pooling between her thighs.

Tessie had several marks from their rather violent coupling the night before; her lip was slightly swollen from where Rose had bit it repeatedly, already-yellowing bruises littered her shoulders and stomach from when Rose had shoved her against the wall, and hickies shone viciously from her neck and one of her breasts where Rose had bit and sucked roughly.

Rose exhaled noisily, her eyes closed as she bit the tip of her tongue, before wrenching herself from the blonde's grasp. Confused, Tessie grabbed the redhead's wrist, only to be roughly shrugged off again as Rose strode from the room.

"Rose?" she called after her, confused. "Rose!"

"What did _you_ do?" Mazeppa mused, hovering by the doorway when the redhead had disappeared up the stairs.

"I don't know!" the blonde answered, shrugging as she collapsed in the chair Rose had been occupying.

"Damn," the brunette commented, leaning on the vanity as she often did when talking to Tessie. "The _hell_ happened to _you_? Or should I 'see the other guy'?"

Tessie looked around, making sure they were alone in the dressing room before hurrying to the door and closing it. Smiling, a slight blush creeping up her neck, she pointed at the closed door. "Rose," she whispered happily. Both her hands covered her breastbone as she spun in a circle, finally holding her arms out as she faced Mazeppa again. "Yesterday. Mazeppa, you're not gonna believe this, but I _really_ like her. And I think she likes me, too!" she confided excitedly.

"You think she likes ya cause she beat the shit outta ya and then ignored you?" Mazeppa asked, incredulous. "I mean, I know I _said_ that I was pretty sure she was in love with you, but that was before ya came in here looking like ya got your ass whooped and telling me _she_ did it."

"No-Oh, never mind. It's not important _why_ I think she likes _me_, just that _I like her_," Tessie smiled, going back to her chair.

"Right… You're crazy," the brunette teased, nudging her playfully as she stood up. "Anyway, I just wanted to check in, see where you were in your grand master plan to get Hovick to fall in love with you. Clearly, you're _behind_ square one."

"Stop! I am not!" she laughed, pushing the trumpet player lightheartedly.

"_Okay_," Mazeppa nodded, her hands up in mock-defense as she backed away. "Anyway, I have my ballet so we'll talk later?" She opened the door as the blonde nodded and started reapplying cover-up.

Rose busied herself in the dressing room the girls shared with Mazeppa on the second floor, pinning costumes and assisting in the reapplication of makeup. She refused to let herself think of the blonde or her gorgeous body or the marks she'd left _on_ Tessie's gorgeous body, forcing all thoughts of lesbians and sex and lesbian sex from her mind.

"Rose?"

"One second," she mumbled around a mouthful of pins as she kneeled in front of Thelma and pinned the torn hem back together. She spit the rest of the pins into her palm before leaning on one knee and starting to stand, "There ya go. That'll hold till Louise can fix it tonight at the hotel, okay?" The tiny blonde nodded, smiling, before hurrying back to Agnes and Dolores.

She turned around, seeing Mazeppa hovering nervously behind her, having finished her act.

"I can't go just yet," she said quietly. "I have to wait till the girls finish for the night. After?" Rose grabbed the girl whose name she wasn't sure of, pulling her closer and using a pin to hold the breaking shoulder strap together, before patting her idly on the arm and letting her continue away.

"Rose," the brunette whispered, edgy. "Rose, I have ta tell ya something." Her fingers closed around the redhead's upper arm, pulling her farther away from the girls in her act.

"Hmm?" she responded, distracted as she caught sight of the girl wearing the rear of the cow. She clapped her hands together before snapping at her, "Where's the other one?" she demanded.

The girl shrugged noncommittally in response before going back to talking with the other girls.

"Rose, it's important," Mazeppa told her.

But Rose's attention was already focused in another direction. She pulled out of Mazeppa's grasp and headed towards the door, "Damn it. She must be in the other dressing room."

With an irritated cluck of her tongue, Mazeppa followed her, grabbing her arm again when they were on the stairs. "Rose!"

"What _is_ it, Mazeppa? I have to get the girls together! Can't this _wait_?" the redhead snapped.

"It's Tessie," she answered meaningfully. Rose momentarily faltered, ceasing her continuation down the stairs to look back at Mazeppa's hazel eyes. "She's telling people about you. She told me and I don't know who else that _you're_ the reason she's so banged up. She's… She's telling people that you two fucked and that you're in love with her."

Rose's mouth open and closed as she tried to digest the information she'd just been given. She suddenly turned and started back down the stairs, a fire burning determinedly in her eyes.

"Where are you going?"

"Tessie's dressing room," she answered, her voice cold.

"Why?" Mazeppa asked, not having moved.

"I'm going to kill her," Rose replied firmly, but so casually that Mazeppa feared she really would.

The brunette took off after her, only just barely managing to get into the dressing room after Rose slammed the door. She yanked it open, sliding in before closing it quietly. She hovered behind the shorter woman, holding her breath.

"Rose!" Tessie smiled, standing up.

Rose growled dangerously, taking a step forward before Mazeppa's hands closed around her upper arms and prevented her from taking another step in the blonde's direction. That didn't keep her from struggling though, trying to wrestle out of the brunette's grasp. "Let me go, Mazeppa."

"Rose, think about this!" Mazeppa pleaded, fighting to keep Rose in check.

"I have," she answered, too calmly for Mazeppa to be reassured.

"What is it? What's wrong?" the blonde asked, stepping closer despite Rose's violent thrashing.

"I'll kill you!" Rose responded, succeeding in freeing one of her arms from Mazeppa's grasp.

Mazeppa instantly changed her tactics, wrapping both arms around the redhead's waist to keep her in check. "Rose! You're a lady, remember? Ladies don't violently kill people!"

"They do when they're from the train tracks!" she snarled, reaching with both arms and kicking her legs out in an attempt to make contact with the blonde.

"Rose, honey, what is it? Let Tessie make it better," Tessie cooed.

"I'll give ya 'make it better!" Rose roared, kicking her legs out again. "How _dare_ you!? How dare you TELL people?"

"What are you talking about? I didn't tell anyone, honey," the blonde answered, confused.

"Don't you _lie_ to me, damn it!"

"Rose!" Mazeppa whispered, trying to calm her. "Rose, calm down."

"No, God damn it! Not until she can't tell lies out of that whore-mouth again!" she continued struggling.

"Rose!?" Tessie squeaked in surprise, pain contorting her features. "What's wrong with you?"

"_Wrong_ with me?" the redhead repeated, incredulous. "Maybe you're just not used to me when I'm not being 'easy!'"

"What are you _talking_ about?" the blonde demanded.

"Let me _go_!" Rose ordered over her shoulder as she continued swiping at the blonde's face with her nails, kicking violently. "I'll _show_ _her_ the 'perfect quickie!'"

"Rose!" Mazeppa hissed, stepping backwards to keep her from coming in contact with Tessie.

"No!" Rose shouted, tears filling her eyes as her struggling lost its fire. "No! No. I-I'll kill her. I'll-" She finally stopped fighting, exhausted as her arms hanging limply at her sides. She stared at the blonde, "Y-You _bitch_. I _trusted_ you."

Mazeppa managed to usher her out of Tessie's room--leaving the blonde completely bewildered but afraid to follow-- to the back alley without being seen before the floodgates let loose. Leaning heavily against the bricks, Rose let the thick tears slide down her cheeks.

"It's okay, Rose," Mazeppa cooed, running her hands up and down the redhead's arms.

"No," she whispered before forcing out a shuddering breath. "No, it's okay. I just… I'm gonna back to the hotel. I just need to be alone. Let Herbie know, will ya?" She blinked back tears, the harsh wind bringing more tears to her eyes.

"So ya don't wanna go for that drink, then?" Mazeppa joked.

Rose snorted, wiping her eyes, "Rain check?"

Mazeppa nodded in response, forcing a hesitant smile. "Do you want me to talk to Tessie?"

She shook her head, "No. That's okay. Thanks, though. I- Damn. My purse and coat are inside."

"I'll get 'em," Mazeppa offered, smiling weakly and pulling the door open.

"Thanks," Rose whispered, leaning against the bricks again.

"Rose?"

She opened her eyes as she heard the door close and someone breathed her name. She scowled at the blonde.

"Rose, honey, what's wrong? What was all that about?" Tessie asked timidly, taking a small step forward.

Rose growled in the back of her throat before she pinned the taller woman to the bricks, using her forearm to put pressure on the other woman's neck as she held both the blonde's small wrists in her other hand. "I should kill you for what you've done to me," she spat, tip-toeing so she was closer to the blonde's eye level.

Her eyes were wide as she gasped for breath, trying to push Rose off of her. "Rose!"

"I trusted you and you just went around opening your big mouth! Did ya _tell_ Herbie yet or will I still be able to get married?" the redhead demanded, seething. Her determined, angry fire was quickly returning, coursing through her veins and giving her strength. "Answer me!"

"I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" she squeaked, still struggling to free herself. "I would never tell Herbie! I would never hurt you that way, Rose!"

"Liar! Mazeppa told me what you said to her! She _told_ me that you're telling people we fucked! She told me you're telling people that I'm in love with you!"

"I didn't do that!" Tessie swore, shaking her head as the pressure on her windpipe lessened just a little. "I haven't said a word to anyone. The only thing I said was to Mazeppa and I just told her how much I like you! That's it!"

"I don't _believe_ you," Rose hissed, releasing her anyway as she paced angrily away.

She grabbed the redhead's wrist, pulling her close again, "Please, Rose. You have to believe me!"

"Get off me," she whispered, her eyes burning with tears again.

Tessie ignored her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Please believe me, Rose. Please," she begged, burying her own face against Rose's hot skin.

"Get your Goddamn hands off me," Rose spat, pushing Tessie away from her and shaking with anger. "You're lying. You lied about what you told Mazeppa and you're lying now."

"I didn't-"

"If you didn't tell her, then how did she know that I had worked in burlesque? You're the _only one _I told. How would she know if you didn't tell her?" she growled, her fingers curling into fists.

Tessie reached out for the redhead again, "I don't know, Rose! I swear, I didn't-"

"Don't touch me!"

"-say anything. I told you I wouldn't tell anyone and I didn't." She pulled Rose against her tightly, cooing softly.

"I said don't touch me!" Rose screeched, pulling herself out of the taller woman's grasp before slapping her sharply across her cheek. Tessie blinked at her, her own arms hanging limply at her sides. Rose huffed angrily before slapping her again across the other cheek. She forced herself to swallow, tears stinging her own eyes as the blonde continued to stare at her. She pushed Tessie, making her stumble backwards a few paces, before her tiny fist collided with Tessie's sternum.

Tessie gasped in pain before swallowing and closing her eyes. She bit her lip, forcing the tears from her eyes.

"Hit me back," Rose demanded, still shaking in anger. She slapped the taller woman again when she didn't move. "Do it. Go ahead, hit me. Hit me, God damn it!"

"I won't-"

She slapped the blonde again, interrupting her. "Do it! Hit me back!" she began beating her fists against every inch of Tessie she could reach, her punches losing their power as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Hit me!"

Tessie pulled her tight again, trapping her arms between them as she cooed soothingly, threading her fingers through Rose's matted curls. "Shhh, it's okay, Rose. It's okay. I would never hurt you, never. You have to believe me."

"I do," Rose nodded, crying harder as she let the blonde hold her closely. "I know."

"Shhh, Rosie. It's okay, darlin'. It's all gonna be alright. Tessie is gonna make it all better, okay?" Tessie held the shorter woman at arm's length before brushing a tear away with the pad of her thumb. "Do you wanna stay here? Or I could walk you home? Or, come to think of it, I think my apartment is closer if ya want me to take you there."

"Anywhere," she shook her head, burying her face against the blonde's skin. She felt Tessie's arm snake around her waist before she allowed herself to be led away.


	5. Chapter 5

Rose was barely aware of where the blonde was taking her, she just allowed herself to be blindly led through the slums of the town to a small apartment.

Tessie unlocked the door before guiding her to a chair and letting her sit down. She quickly began bustling around the kitchen, pulling out two glasses before she rummaged in the fridge and pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

The redhead didn't even question what was in the glass, just drank it down and relished in the burn that made it's way down her throat. She was breathing deeply, her head back in her hands.

"Rose?" Tessie breathed tentatively. "Rosie?"

She shook her head. "I_ can't_, Tessie."

"Can't what, honey?"

Rose ran her fingers through her hair, forcing out a breath. "I don't _know_, Tessie. _I don't know_. I don't know _anything_ anymore. I don't know how I'm gonna be able to be with Herbie, be _married_ to Herbie, when…. I _can't_, Tessie."

"Shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh," Tessie cooed, standing so she could pull the redhead back into a tight embrace. She ran her hands up and down Rose's back, trying to soothe her. "It's okay, Rose. It's _okay_."

"It's _not_!" she argued. "I _love_ Herbie but I-I…" she shook her head, trailing off. "Tessie, he wanted to make love last night and I couldn't even stand him _touching_ me. It's _not_ okay."

"It _will_ be, honey."

"How? How will it be okay if I'm marrying a man that makes my skin crawl when he touches me? How is that _okay_?" Rose asked, tears shining in her eyes. She stared back at the blonde, still hoping despite hope that she would have a magic cure.

Tessie chewed her bottom lip, unable to give an answer as she watched the hopeful look drain from the redhead's tear-filled brown eyes.

"See?" she demanded. "See? It's not okay. It's not gonna _be _okay. I don't even-What do I even _do_? I mean, I-" Rose dissolved back in tears, burying her face in the nape of the blonde's neck.

"Shhh, it's- I-" the blonde closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I will _make_ it okay, Rose. I swear I will." Rose lifted her head so she could look into the blonde's eyes again, hope shining in her own again despite herself. "I-I _will_, Rose. I'll make it better. Tessie will make it all better. Just-Please don't cry, Rose."

Rose pulled away tentatively, her hands shaking before she laced her fingers around her empty glass. She slowly closed her eyes, forcing deep breaths. "Tessie, I-" she sighed, shaking her head and pursing her lips. "I wanna believe that you can make it better but y-You _can't_. I'm just… I have to marry Herbie."

"Rose-"

"No. No, it's- He's a good man. He'll take care of me and Louise. He'll-" she nodded, her eyes still closed. "We'll be happy. We'll be…" She trailed off, still nodding as she tried to convince herself.

"Rose, honey, it doesn't _have_ to be the end of the world. I- A bunch of my friends that are lesbians. They're married to men and they have girlfriends. Some of their husbands know, some don't. But having girlfriends keeps them sane, keeps them happy," Tessie explained.

"Bisexual compromise," Rose whispered, remembering what Mazeppa had said the day before.

"Wh-Yeah," she nodded. "Exactly. You could still have a sexual relationship with a woman. I-You could-Me?"

The redhead's eyes shot open and she stared at the blonde in shock.

"I mean-" Tessie faltered, stumbling over her words. "L-Like me. A woman _like_ me, who will keep your secret and-and-"

Rose's full lips spread into a slow smile and she nodded, releasing her death-grip on her glass and reaching for one of Tessie's hands, "You?"

"I-I-" she ran her tongue over her dry lips before nodding apprehensively. "Me?"

She looked nervously back to her glass, her hand resting on the blonde's knee, "Tessie- I- Do you-" She forced out a breath and Tessie's hand covered hers atop her knee. "Do you maybe wanna… Come to my wedding?"

"Herbie already invited me."

Rose looked away guiltily, filing a reminder away so she could tell Herbie she'd changed her mind and wanted the blonde at the wedding now, which she realized would be difficult to explain after the scene she'd made. "Right, of course he did," she mumbled. "I just… _I_ wanted to ask you. I want-I want you to be there."

"Of course I'll be there, honey," Tessie smiled.

"And- I- You should know that I- I don't do this. I- _Ever_," she reiterated, trying to force the words out of her mouth. "I'msorryTessie."

"Wh-"

"F-For what I said about you, for hurting you, for-for-" Rose stuttered, stumbling over the foreign words necessary for an apology. She stared at her empty glass again, avoiding the blonde's brilliant blue eyes.

"Rose? Rose," she whispered, gently tipping the redhead's face in her direction before planting a soft kiss on her plump lips. "It's okay."

Rose closed her eyes, stubbornly blinking back tears. She brought Tessie's hand to her lips, kissing the back of her hand before holding the blonde's hand between both of her own. "You're beautiful," she told her, changing the subject. She brushed one of Tessie's ringlet curls away from her eyes before clasping her hand tightly again and holding it to her breast as she leaned forward in her seat. "You- Weren't you a ballerina? Why are you in burlesque? You could have been a _star_."

Tessie smiled weakly, surprised that someone was asking about her past. "Well, honestly… I refused the idea of a bisexual compromise. And… The people in charge of the ballet company I was part of didn't approve of my having sex with so many of the girls in the company… What really did me in, though, was having sex with the manager's wife. It- It didn't help that he walked in," she snorted in laughter, remembering the priceless look on the manager's face.

"So Mazeppa wasn't lying when she said you're a player?" the redhead asked, her eyebrows raised. She released the blonde's hand, dropping it back into her lap. She couldn't quite hold back a cluck of disapproval and anger.

"Mazeppa said _what_?" she asked, jolted back to the present. "I'm not- When did- She said that with a _straight face_?!"

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, narrowing her eyes in confusion.

"That broad chases anything in a skirt!" Tessie exclaimed, almost laughing. "I mean, I love her to death. She's probably my best friend at work but… Well, honey, she's a bit of a slut."

"Wh-_What_?" she stared back, her mouth open in shock. "But- She told me that _you're_ a player and-and you always go after the new girl and you wanted to have sex with me since we met and you like to make these girls fall in love with you and that you did it to _her_!"

"That is all completely true… About her. _She_ does that, not me. You were the first person I had sex with, other than her, in years. I don't really get the chance to meet a lot of women so she and I kinda made an arrangement," she explained. "But _she's_ the one who goes after every new girl and likes to make them fall in love. And the whole first week you were at the house? She kept telling me how she was certain you were a lesbian and that she was gonna get between your thighs before your contract ran out."

Rose scowled, chewing the inside of her cheek in anger as her fingers curled into a fist.

"Don't kill her," Tessie instructed, taking Rose's fist in her hand and coaxing her fingers into a relaxed state. "Cause, honestly, I think she would've swooped in sooner but I really think she developed feelings for you and didn't know how that would fit in. I think she really likes you. She just has a funny way of dealing with that. …Rose?"

She nodded, still growling.

"Promise me?" the blonde requested hopefully.

"I promise I won't _kill_ her," Rose growled reluctantly.

"Rose-"

"That's the most you'll get. Take it or leave it," she rumbled in clipped tones.

"Alright. I guess that's all I can ask," Tessie sighed before scooting her chair closer and gently patting the other woman's knee. "Honey? Please relax. There's nothing you can do right now. I'll get you some more whiskey, okay? Are-Are ya hungry? Do you want me to fix ya something?" She got up, pulling the fridge door open and grabbing the bottle of whiskey before pouring more of the liquid into Rose's glass.

"No, I'm not hungry," the redhead answered, nursing her newly-filled glass.

"I can make you a sandwich or maybe-"

"Tessie!" Rose interrupted, looking back up. "I'm _fine._ Sit-_Please_ sit down?"

She smiled nervously, sitting down opposite her again as Rose's chocolate brown eyes fell back to her glass. "Rose? I- Well… I'm sorry."

"What for?" she asked, looking up in confusion.

"F-Well… For not telling you about Mazeppa and-and for starting all of this. I'm-I never meant to complicate everything for you. I didn't think it would effect you and Herbie this way. I'm really-"

"Stop," Rose breathed, her eyes closed. "D-Don't, Tessie. Just-" she shook her head slowly, trembling. "Please don't."

"What?"

"It isn't your fault. So don't. I- I would've realized it sooner or later. And I- I didn't want to get married anyway. I only agreed to make Herbie happy. It's not _your fault_ I don't wanna get married. So don't apologize." She was whispering, seeming almost scared.

"Did-ahem- did he always make your 'skin crawl?'" Tessie asked, running her hand up and down the shorter woman's arms.

"No," Rose whispered, her eyes closed again. "He never made my body pound the way y- I mean, no he didn't. Never until after you… Not till you touched me." She was nervous and embarrassed, stuttering over words as the blonde's fingers snaked their way under her light jacket and pushed it from arms to hang on the back of her chair. She sucked in a shuddering breath, her lips parted as she basked in her body's reactions to the blonde's touch. Her whole body pounded, intoxicated by Tessie's soft caresses, as liquid heat surged between her thighs.

"Then that's why I'm apologizing," the blonde whispered back, scooting forward in her own chair as she brought one of her counterpart's hands to her lips. She gently kissed her palm before kissing the inside of her wrist, her hot mouth working its way slowly up Rose's arm till her lips met her sleeve. She released the redhead's hand and it fell limply into her lap. "Rose? If- If you don't love Herbie then why-"

"I do love Herbie," Rose interrupted, her eyes shooting open. "I-I do. I-" she sighed, looking away again. "I _really_ do _love_ him. I just… _Don't love him enough. _Not the way he loves me. I-I don't know that I ever have. But he's a _good_ man; sweet, kind, obedient. I love him." She seemed to be _clinging_ to this, in hopes it would make her impending wedding easier to get through and live with. "I just-You don't understand-You can't. He's _such_ a _good_ man. And we've been together for eight years. He held me together when my baby left. He-I can't even _begin_ to explain. I _do_ love Herbie, though," she whispered the last part, sounding unsure.

Tessie nodded, conceding her point before her face screwed up in confusion. "Your baby? But you have Louise. And she adores you."

Rose stiffened noticeably, drawing herself up to her full height. "Nothing. Nevermind. You're right. I-Nothing."

"Rose, honey, do you have _another_ child?"

"No," she answered too quickly, averting her eyes.

"Rose-"

"Let it _go_," the redhead pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears again as the painful memories worked themselves to the forefront of her mind.

"Honey, talk to me. Do you have another kid? Did it die or-?"

"June," Rose breathed, expelling the breath slowly as she clenched her eyes shut, a lump growing in her throat. "Her name is-_was-_ June."

"She died? Oh, honey… How did it happen?" Tessie asked, patting Rose's knee sympathetically.

"She-" Rose swallowed, the lump in her throat almost painful to speak past now. "June-my baby, my _gorgeous_ little baby girl-she-she-" And the words wouldn't come, just the memories.

Confronted with the painful topic, she could almost _feel_ her baby back in her arms the same as when she brought her home the first time. Six pounds, three ounces. Nineteen inches long. Brilliantly piercing blue eyes and the prettiest little smile.

She could _see_ her little girl tap dancing, filling the theater with her pretty little voice.

She could see each swirl and line of her baby's writing. She could see the letter telling her that she ran off with Tulsa, that she wouldn't be meeting her mother at the train. She could almost feel the thin paper between her fingers, the last thing her baby touched before running away with that _boy_. And in a moment of pain and anger, she'd torn it up and left herself with only her memories as keepsakes of the baby she'd never see again.

Her hands shook as held her glass tightly, stubborn tears spilling from her eyes and leaving angry tracks down her cheeks. And she couldn't stop them. "My baby!" she sobbed before Tessie had stood and enveloped her in a hug, cradling her head against her breasts.

"It's okay, Rose! Shhh, don't cry. It's okay!" Tessie scrambled frantically, feeling terrible for bringing up the topic. She pressed a kiss to her red curls, rubbing soothing circles on Rose's back with the tips of her fingers.

Rose stubbornly bit back another sob, drawing in a forced breath as she pushed June's shining face from her mind. She couldn't think about her. It was too painful. She forced her mind to shut down, leaving her body in charge and her body gratefully accepted this promotion. She moved, surprising the blonde as she suddenly covered Tessie's lips with her own plump ones. She ran her hands up Tessie's arms, savoring the feel of her soft skin as it burned under her touch.

"Oh, God," Rose breathed, breaking the kiss before she eagerly pressed their lips back together and parted her full ones to invite Tessie's tongue in. She felt like her whole body was on fire when she felt the blonde's tongue gingerly explore her mouth. "Tessie," she pleaded, biting her own lower lip with a small whimper. "Tessie, I need you. Pl-please!" She pushed herself into a standing position as Tessie started to pull away, growling quietly as she pressed her body against the blonde's and molded their lips together.

The redhead's actions left Tessie with little choice and she smiled against Rose's lips, pulling away again, "Shhh, it's okay, honey."

"Tes-"

She cut her off, pressing a solitary finger against her plump lips as she entwined their fingers and led her through a door Rose just noticed. "Relax, Rosie, relax." She spun the redhead around before Rose could take in her surroundings. Tessie pressed an eager kiss to the redhead's lips, wrapping her arms around Rose's waist and leading her backwards until the back of her knees collided with a soft surface and she fell backward, Tessie on top of her. She didn't wait for a reaction, just situated herself so that she was straddling Rose's left thigh as she began pulling at the buttons down the front of the redhead's blouse.

Rose leaned on her elbows, pushing herself up enough so that she could press her lips back to Tessie's. "Te-"

"Shhh," the blonde cooed, running her palms over the swell of each of Rose's breasts and down the rest of her front before pushing the blouse down her arms. She placed soft, gentle kisses across Rose's chest, leaving a hot trail from just below her jaw line to the lining of her bra.

Rose groaned in response, her eyelids fluttering closed and her head tipping back as her arms trembled.

"It's not all about the orgasm," Tessie whispered, her breath scalding in her counterpart's ear. "It's _getting there_ that's half the fun." She pushed the bra's straps off Rose's shoulders so that she could pull the cups down and expose Rose's heaving breasts. She covered her supple flesh with more soft kisses, her lips and tongue lingering and making Rose moan quietly again.

Rose forced herself to swallow, pleasure rippling through her as the blonde seemed to read her body's every need. "Tessie," she whispered. She felt the blonde's nimble fingers skirt around her torso and flick open the clasp of her bra before guiding her in removing her top layers. She collapsed backward when Tessie finished peeling her blouse and bra from her body.

Tessie ran her palms over Rose's stomach again before cupping her ample breasts and grinding against them, making the redhead groan in the back of her throat. "I wanna touch you, feel you, _exploreevery inch of you_," she whispered, her lips, tongue, and teeth grazing the shell of the redhead's ear and making a shiver run down the length of her spine.

Rose eagerly pulled Tessie's lips back to her own, taking one of Tessie's hands in her own and guiding it past the waistband of her skirt and into her panties. She pushed two of Tessie's fingers against her clit as she slid her tongue into the blonde's mouth, moaning quietly beneath her.

"God," the blonde breathed, breaking their kiss to nuzzle below her counterpart's ear. "Rose, you're so _wet_." She let Rose guide the pace of her fingers, pushing them harder into the redhead and making her croon. "Do I make you hot, Rose? Do I make you wet? Tell me, Rose."

Rose whimpered again in response, moans catching in her throat as her back arched and she bucked her hips hard against the blonde's hand.

"Tell me?" Tessie repeated, her soft breath a question.

"I- Oh, God!" she whimpered again, squirming. "I love when you touch me, Tessie. I- Mmmnnmmm…"

"Do I make you cum real hard?" the blonde growled, her fingers rocking upward as she added a third finger.

Rose squeaked in shock and pleasure, her back arching as she tried to forced Tessie's fingers deeper. She would be lying if she compared herself to _anything_ virginal. But this? This was language she hadn't heard since her own days in burlesque, all the dirty men growling and jeering from the audience as they touched themselves beneath the "cover" of newspapers they had strewn across their laps. All of the lovers she'd ever taken had never been much for "pillow talk." To hear such talk--and coming from a woman!-- shocked her. She was floored when heard herself answer in kind between her moans of pleasure.

"S-So hard, Tessie... G-aahh! Fuck! Tessie! You make me so hot! Y-You-Ahh!" Her hand slid back into her panties, urging Tessie's fingers to quicken their pace. "Ye-Yes! Like th- Christ! There, Tessie! Pl-Please, Tessie! M-Mmmnnmm-Make me cum!"

Tessie's tongue slid into the redhead's ear, making another deep moan escape her plump lips. "Do you like that, Rose? You like feeling my fingers in you? Pushing and thrusting deeper and faster?"

The redhead squealed, her back arching as she drew her legs up until her thigh was pushing between her counterpart's thighs. She forced herself to nod, her eyes tightly closed even as she tried to force them open so she could see the blonde's face. "Te-Tessie! Oh, G-ah!-ah!-ah!-d!"

She swallowed a whimper of her own, concentrating on Rose's writhing beneath her. "You thought of me when you fucked Herbie?" She waited for Rose's forced nod before continuing, "Did you think of me when _you fucked yourself_?" When Rose didn't answer, either too embarrassed or too consumed with pleasure to form a whole sentence, she continued, "I heard you, didn't I? Earlier today? After. My. Act?" Her fingers pushed deeper and harder with each accented word.

So she hadn't been as quiet as she'd thought.

"Tell me," Tessie purred, grinding her hips downward so she was riding Rose's toned thigh. She left a hot kiss below the redhead's ear, letting a light moan escape her lips in hopes of spurring Rose on.

"Ye-Yes!" Rose gasped, wrapping one of her arms around Tessie's back and digging her nails into the blonde's exposed skin. "Yes! I- I thought of- Ahhh! Oh, God. I thought of you when I-"

"Fucked yourself," she finished, breathing heavily. She couldn't help but love the noises the redhead made when having sex; each pant, squeal, moan, and cry making her hunger to hear more as she grinded her sex hard against Rose's thigh. She ground the heel of her hand against Rose's clit and the redhead almost screamed in response, her muscles beginning to contract around Tessie's long fingers. She quickly covered Rose's lips with her own, her tongue searching and tasting as the redhead squeaked and hungrily returned the kiss.

Her back was arching and she was practically crying from the amount of pleasure building up in her core. She moaned thickly into Tessie's mouth, her body trembling as her nails bit into the blonde's porcelain skin. She broke their kiss, throwing her head back and screaming as she hovered at the edge of her orgasm. "G-AHHH! TESSIE! Fuck! Hard- TESSIE! I'm gonna cum! I'm g- Fuck! You make me cum s-so-TESSIE!" She climaxed almost violently against the blonde's still-moving fingers, soaking her panties and the back of her skirt.

Tessie gingerly removed her fingers from between the redhead's thighs, sucking her fingers clean of Rose's sweet juices before she stripped the redhead of the last of her clothing. Small twitches jumped through Rose's still pounding body and she moaned in the back of her throat, still coming down from her high.

"Rose," the blonde purred, nuzzling her nose below her counterpart's ear. "Rose, do you trust me? I-I want to show you something."

Still panting breathlessly, the redhead nodded. She felt Tessie remove her weight from both her body and the bed before she heard rummaging in a closet. Then Tessie pried her legs apart before pressing something against her clit. She leaned on her elbows, confused. "What's-OH!" she squealed, falling back into a lying position as a soft buzzing purred between her thighs. Her orgasm so recent, she was practically writhing as Tessie increased the vibration against her clit, the thing humming louder. "Tessie!" she squeaked.

"It's okay, Rose. It's a vibrator," Tessie cooed, her breath hot against Rose's left nipple. "Doesn't it feel _so good_?" She flicked her tongue across the hard, rosy peak as Rose let out another loud moan, her body already trembling.

"Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God," Rose panted, the heels of her hands covering her eyes as her fingertips tangled in her own curls. Her chest heaved, her lungs straining for a proper breath, as her back arched again. "Tessie! Oh, God… TESSIE!"

"Go ahead, Rosie, let it out. _God_, I _love_ hearing you," Tessie whispered, her voice husky as her tongue circled the rosy bud again before she started sucking gently. She tugged lightly with her teeth, making a deep, feminine purr escape the woman beneath her.

"Fuck!" she cried, her hips rocking harder against the buzzing toy between her thighs. She threw her head back, pleasure flooding her system deliciously. "Oh, God! Tessie!" Her fingers ran through the blonde's curls before digging into her shoulders. Her mouth open and closed, silent moans escaping her as her chest heaved against Tessie's touch.

Tessie moved the toy away from the redhead's clit, taking the hint that her silent moans were giving her. She eagerly positioned herself between Rose's trembling thighs, letting her gasp noisily for breath before replacing the toy with her mouth. She sucked, licked, drank in Rose's juices when she came for the second time, filling her mouth with the sweet taste she craved. She sat back after she kissed and licked the redhead's thighs clean, letting herself stare at Rose's glistening, naked form as she trembled. She ran her hands over Rose's stomach and breasts before running her palms down her arms. Smiling, she pressed her lips to the redhead's plump ones in a gentle kiss.

Rose managed a weak smile against Tessie's lips, her eyelids fluttering open. She parted her lips, her tongue darting into the blonde's mouth and tasting herself mingled with what the blonde normally tasted of. "Tessie," she breathed, breaking the kiss as her body started waking again. Still panting, she ran her fingers through Tessie's light curls, playing with them as she caught her breath.

Unlike with Herbie, as her body awoke, it craved more, craved everything. All of her senses craved the blonde. She wanted--_needed_-- to see her, feel her, hear her, smell her, _taste_ her. _God, _did she want to taste her. Her lips, her skin, that throbbing area between her thighs that she'd only dared to touch before...

She surprised the blonde, pushing her suddenly to her back and hovering over her with a naughty smile. "Tessie," she repeated, leaning down so her breath was hot in the other woman's ear. She ran her palms lightly over Tessie's still-clothed breasts, delighting in the small shiver that ran down the length of the slimmer woman's body, before her fingertips teased her taut stomach and trailed lightly between her thighs.

Tessie was panting lightly as she spread her legs, her hands reaching for her panties and trying to push them down before Rose stopped her.

Rose brought Tessie's hand to her lips, kissing her palm slowly and purposefully before she took the blonde's index finger between her full lips. Her eyes drifted close as she swirled her tongue around Tessie's finger, sucking softly, as her free hand worked its way between the jeweled brassiere and the blonde's hot skin. She gently kneaded Tessie's right breast as she started sucking on the blonde's middle finger.

The nails of Tessie's free hand dug into Rose's forearm. "Please," she begged, her back arching as more liquid heat pounded between her thighs.

The redhead grinned, taking the hint and releasing Tessie's fingers from between her lips so she could pull the glittery brassiere from the blonde's slim form.

The last time she'd been too angry, too upset, to really take in the blonde's body-- her full curves and soft skin-- so her first priority now was memorizing every freckle, every _inch,_ of her counterpart's body and taking the time to really appreciate it all.

"Tessie, Tessie, Tessie, Tessie, Tessie," she whispered, burying her face between Tessie's breasts and kissing her skin softly as she listened to the blonde's racing heartbeat. "You're so beautiful," she breathed, running her palms up and down the blonde's sides before pulling Tessie's costume panties from her body.

"Oh, God, Rose," Tessie gasped, her own fingers already curling in Rose's auburn locks. She felt Rose's plump lips and hot tongue make their way down her stomach, her own body burning from the contact. "Rose, pl-please!"

Despite the blonde's pleading, though, Rose was in no hurry. She continued planting soft kisses across Tessie's stomach, her palms caressing the blonde's toned thighs. Her kisses slowly dipped lower until she was leaving a hot, wet trail to Tessie's inner thighs, her mouth inching its way to where the blonde wanted to feel her most.

Tessie forced herself to swallow, her grip in the auburn curls tightening, when Rose ran her tongue along her slit slowly, experimentally.

Rose would never admit it, but she was nervous. What if she didn't do it right? Herbie almost never let her kisses dip this low. And even if he did, that was entirely different. The technique that would be necessary, positioning, the taste-- _God! _The taste! She almost hated to think it, but Tessie simply _tasted better_. Such a sweet, rich, full-bodied taste. Herbie made her want to _gag_. And she usually did. She just hid it well.

She took Tessie's sharp gasp that accompanied the next glide of her tongue to mean that she wasn't doing too poorly. She sighed inwardly with relief, taking a deep breath, as she closed her eyes and let her body take control again. Her tongue eagerly ran across Tessie's clit, circling it before flicking over it and making Tessie gasp through a moan. Her fingers worked below her tongue, pushing deeper and searching for spots that made the blonde whimper and cry out.

"Oh, Jesus! Rose!" Tessie squealed, her thighs closing around Rose's ears as she arched. "Fuck! Rose! I'm gonna cum!"

Rose's fingers rocked upwards, her full lips closing around the blonde's throbbing clit as she sucked eagerly. Her tongue was running over her clit again, her fingers pushing deeper, when Tessie started trembling with the force of the orgasm beginning to work its way through her.

Her fingers tightened in the auburn curls as Rose hungrily drank, licking and sucking, every drop of the sweet juices between Tessie's thighs. She panted, moaning softly and still arching as the redhead began planting gentle, delicate kisses on her inner thighs and up her stomach. Rose was taking special care as her kisses continued trailing upward, her plump lips caressing Tessie's pert breasts and their hardened peaks. Her fingers still entangled in the auburn curls, she pulled the redhead's lips hungrily to her own, her tongue eagerly plunging into Rose's mouth.

Rose broke the kiss, nuzzling her nose in the nape of Tessie's neck as she relaxed against the blonde's still twitching, sweaty body--the beautiful, trim, dancer's body. She cuddled against the blonde as she never did with Herbie.

She so _hated_ when Herbie tried to cuddle with her, tried to pull her flush against him. It disgusted her, being pulled against his sweaty body. She'd never seen the point of cuddling--wasn't that supposed to be foreplay?--so she rarely allowed him this. Instead, she usually pushed him off her, rolling away and facing the other direction and pretending to be asleep before he could collect himself enough to try to cuddle with her.

Here she was, though, nuzzling contently below the blonde's ear as she entwined their bodies. She could feel Tessie's pert breasts pressing above her own, just below her collarbone. One of her legs was between the blonde's thighs which meant that one of Tessie's were between her own thighs. Her own hands had worked themselves beneath the blonde's shoulders, pulling herself even closer, and she felt one of Tessie's small hands settle at the small of her back as the palm of the other covered her shoulder blade. But unlike the few and far-between times of cuddling with Herbie, this wasn't forced. It felt nice, natural.

Tessie's hand left Rose's shoulder blade as she grappled with something sitting on the nightstand. She brought her hand to her mouth before reaching again and Rose heard the click of a lighter.

"You smoke?" she asked, pulling back just enough to watch the blonde take a drag on the cigarette.

Tessie winked, "Only after great sex." She turned the cigarette around just slightly, offering it to the redhead.

Rose reached for it almost timidly, taking it between her own fingers before taking a tentative drag on it herself.

She waited until the redhead had taken a deeper drag before pushing her lips against Rose's full ones, sucking the smoke from her mouth as she kissed her and exhaling it slowly with a wicked grin on her features. "God, Rose, you look so hot; naked with your hair mussed and smoking like that. It makes me wanna take you all over again."

The redhead blushed lightly, taking another drag on the cigarette and batting her eyelashes coquettishly. "Why don't you, then?" she pretended to pout.

Grinning, Tessie pushed the shorter woman to her back, kissing and sucking at her neck again as the redhead continued taking slow drags on the cigarette.

Rose moaned lightly in response to the small, playful nips Tessie had begun taking. Her moan made the smoke catch in her throat and she sat up, coughing. Her eyes went wide when she spotted the clock on the opposite wall. "Is-hem- is that clock right?"

She swirled her tongue over the racing vein in the redhead's neck, nodding, "Mmhmm."

"Damn!" she squeaked, pulling herself away from the blonde and throwing the cigarette into the ashtray before scrambling to get her clothes. She was still coughing, "Damn!"

"What is it, Rose?" Tessie asked, confused as she watched the shorter woman buzz around the room, pulling her skirt up her toned legs and over her hips as she searched for her blouse.

"I'm late. I am _so_ late. I-Damn! Herbie must have gotten home ages ago. He and Louise must be worried sick! God _damn_ it!" she hopped up and down, pulling on her second heel as her eyes continued scanning the room for her blouse. "Damn it! Where is-?"

The blonde wordlessly pointed and Rose turned, following her direction before scooping up her blouse and pulling it on. Her fingers trembled as she did up each of the buttons. She had yet to find her panties or her bra and the back of her skirt was still pretty damp, but she didn't have _time. _

"I am _so_ late," she repeated, still looking for her bra and panties. "I-_Damn_ it!" She threw her hands up in surrender, turning to go before rushing back and pressing a kiss to Tessie's lips and surprising her. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tess. I _really_ have to go."

Tessie blinked in shock, staring at the door her redheaded counterpart has disappeared through as the front door closed loudly. A smile slowly worked its way onto her features and she fell backward against the pillows, sighing happily. She hugged her pillow, actually laughing when she found Rose's bra buried beneath the soft pillows. How she would manage to return _that _without drawing attention was beyond her-- not to mention the redhead's panties, which she could only assume had been kicked under the bed.

She could feel her heart swelling in her chest as she giggled and she let herself wonder briefly if this was what love feels like.


	6. Chapter 6

She. Felt. Like. A. Hooker. A common streetwalker, a call-girl. Filthy.

It was dark out and she was scurrying back to Herbie. She had _no idea_ how she was going to explain herself.

She caught sight of herself in the reflection of a glass shop window as she hurriedly made her way back to the hotel. Her hair was a mess, her clothing was dishelmed, her make-up was mussed and she had lost both her bra and her panties somewhere in Tessie's bedroom.

And she had _nothing_ to tell Herbie but the truth, try as she might to think of a plausible lie. This was nothing like the other times with Tessie. At least those times she had the excuse of cleaning up at the theater.

This was _entirely_ different. She had _no _excuse. Mazeppa had told Herbie _hours_ ago that she was going home. And she hadn't. She figured he must be worried sick cause she was missing and he'd be even _more_ worried when he saw her.

And she had _nothing_ to tell him.

This was a mistake. A terrible, terrible mistake… But, _oh_, it felt so _good_, so _right_ to be with Tessie that way. It felt comfortable and easy and nice. And Tessie made her body pound, her blood race, her stomach flip, her breath catch…

Not for the first time, she found herself wondering if she was in love with the blonde. She'd never felt this way about someone before, she knew that much. But… Did that mean what she felt in the past _hadn't_ been love? That would make sense if she really was a _lesbian. _She supposed that she _knew_ she hadn't been in love with her first three husbands… Not one of them.

But she'd been _so_ sure about Herbie. He was _such_ a good man. He was caring and sweet… But had she ever _really_ been in love with him? She cared for him, yes. But was it "true love" or just friendship? Did she maybe just enjoy having someone in that part of her life? Had she just been pretending all along? … It didn't matter. She would marry Herbie. She would. She _had_ to. She wouldn't break her promise again. Herbie didn't deserve that.

But what about Tessie? Could this "bisexual compromise" work out? Could she still _have_ Tessie and be married to Herbie? She found herself very much doubting it. She was sure that she and Herbie wouldn't be staying here after they were wed. And this is where Tessie was, where her livelihood was. She couldn't expect the blonde to just pick up and leave and follow her wherever Herbie decided he wanted to settle down--which she had a terrible feeling would be Seattle. Besides, Herbie wasn't a stupid man… Surely he'd figure it out. He would realize that she didn't crave sex the way she used to--he already _was_ realizing it. So it couldn't last. He would suspect.

And she _hated_ lying to him. And if she was going to _have_ this relationship with Tessie, she would _have_ to lie to him. And she felt just _awful_ for doing it, for yelling at him for no reason… He didn't _deserve_ that. He was too good for that, too good for her.

And Louise! Louise would notice. She wasn't stupid either. Louise would notice. And she wouldn't _know_ not to tell Herbie. And the whole secret would be ruined and….

She hated to think of what would happen if she and Tessie were discovered. She had heard rumors about lesbians, seen movies. The lesbian couple often died. Or was left alone. Or went crazy. Or was a monster… None of it sounded good. So she could _hardly_ hope to lead a normal life with the blonde… Then again, she had never _wanted_ to be a home-maker. She _wanted_ to be in show business… This would certainly be easier with the blonde, but Herbie still wouldn't allow it, so it didn't matter.

And not one part of her wanted to be walking back to Herbie right now. _God_, Tessie's bed had been so warm. _Tessie_ had been so warm. She wanted to be in the other woman's arms, kissing her pale lips and running her fingers through the blonde curls. She wanted to make love to this woman, to taste her again. She wanted to use that vibrator on her and make her _scream._ She wanted to be in the blonde's apartment, in her bed, between her thighs. And she wanted to feel Tessie's creamy skin against her own, burning against her own, as their breaths mingled.

She _didn't_ want to be walking the twenty-seven blocks from the blonde's apartment to her own hotel room.

She didn't even make it into her building before she felt arms close around her tightly, a sigh of relief being breathed against her fly-away auburn curls.

"Mama! Mama, you're okay!" Louise squealed happily.

She could feel her daughter's voice just ringing through her whole body and she felt _awful_ for making her worry.

Her daughter had been worrying. And _she_ had been fucking the blonde stripper. She felt like the worst parent ever.

"HERBIE! She's okay, Herbie! Mama's home! She's safe! HERBIE!"

She gasped in pain when she felt Herbie's arms close around her as well, hugging her tightly in happiness and relief.

"Her-"

He cut her off by sweeping her off her feet and carrying her back into their hotel room. He put her gently on the couch before squatting in front of her as he fussed about her.

"Rose, I've been worried sick! Mazeppa stopped by _hours_ ago with your things and Louise and I have just been worried sick! We thought you were with her and she thought you were with us and then we all just panicked-- Louise, go call Mazeppa at the theater and let her know your mother is home and in one piece--. Where have you _been_? We've been so worried!"

He was rambling and he seemed to suddenly take notice of her appearance. "Rose! Are you okay? What happened? You look a mess!"

"I-" she opened her mouth, entirely unsure of what would come out. "I-" She started crying, burying her face against Herbie's shoulder as she wept. Her arms wound around his neck and she clung to him, feeling guilty and unsure and horrid.

"Shhh, honey, it's okay," he soothed, wrapping her back in his arms and pulling her tighter. "It's gonna be okay. Just tell me what happened, honey."

"Mazeppa wants to talk to you, Mama," Louise was carrying the phone in her hand, holding it out to her mother, before she saw her crying against Herbie. She dropped the phone, flying to her mother's side and hugging her. "What's wrong, Mama?"

Rose cried louder, a plan forming in her mind. "Herbie!" she gripped him tighter, her fists closing around his shirt. "It- I- And-"

"Louise, I want you to tell Mazeppa that we will fill her in tomorrow. And then I want you to go to bed. I'm gonna take care of your mother, okay?" Herbie sounded very serious, his brow furrowed with worry, as he scooped Rose up again and carried her into their bedroom. Louise nodded at his retreating back before mumbling into the phone and going to the room she shared with the girls.

"Rose, shhh, calm down, honey…" he whispered, sitting next to her in the bed they shared. "What is it?"

"I- was- attacked!" she lied, thick tears falling from her eyes.

"What?!"

"On my way back from the theater!" she was gesturing wildly now, the fabricated story easily falling from her lips. "A man- this terrible, awful, smelly man!- pulled me into an alley and tried to have his way with me! I fought- Oh, Herbie, I fought so hard!- but he took off my blouse and my bra and he ripped my panties!"

She allowed herself to be pulled into a tight, protective embrace, crying harder as Herbie whispered soothing words.

"It'll be okay, Rosie… I'll make it okay…"

"And it was _awful!_" she cried against his neck. "It hurt so much! And I feel so dirty! I'm a terrible person! I'm so sorry, Herbie!"

"Why? No you're not, Rosie. Why would you say that?"

"Cause I didn't fight him off! I should've fought harder! But I didn't fight hard enough and he-he-he- Oh, God, Herbie!"

"Shhh, Rosie, it's okay. I'm not mad at you. You fought as hard as you could. Shhh, it's okay, honey. It's okay, Rose," he cooed, his hands running up and down her back in soothing patterns.

"He made me- he-he- Herbie, he made me _go down on him_… It was awful, Herbie! His grubby little fingers tangled in my hair and he- he- He stuck his man-bits in my mouth! And he-He _forced_ me to the ground and pushed my skirt up and he- pinned me to the ground and shoved into me and-and- It hurt so _much!_ This _terrible,_ ripping pain. It _burned_!" Rose was now having difficulty breathing now, with her asthma and all her tears and the way she'd worked herself up. She gasped for breath against him, "Childbirth hurt less, Herbie! It-He-He hurt me _so much_. I-I was- _certain_ he was going- to _kill_ me, Herbie!"

Herbie was shaking in anger by this point, her grip on him being the only thing keeping him from storming into the night and finding her attacker.

"And I'm sure he would have if Tessie didn't save me! Lucky she was nearby! She- she came out of a bar and-and-and she _hit_ him over the head with a trashcan lid. I grabbed my blouse and we ran before he could come to. It was just _awful_, Herbie!"

"What did he look like?" he breathed, his voice low and more dangerous than she'd ever heard it.

"… What?" she asked, pulling away and looking at him. His eyes were cold and terrifying.

"What did he _look_ like, Rose?" he repeated.

"I-He- Tall. He was very tall," she lied, hurriedly trying to think up a description. "And _dark_. He had dark hair and dark eyes. And… Huge hands, like meat-hooks when he grabbed me. And he was cold- so cold, Herbie." She shivered before pillowing her face against his chest again.

He pulled away, picking up his jacket and pulling on his coat before leaving their bedroom.

"No! Herbie! Pl-Please! I- Don't leave me! I feel safer in your arms. Please, Herbie! I'm so scared…" she started crying into her hands and wasn't at all shocked when she felt Herbie's arms around her again, rocking her gently.

"I'll help you get changed, Rose," he whispered against her hair.

She hugged him tighter, making him pull himself from her grasp in order to grab one of her nightgowns. When he pulled away, she cried harder, sobbing as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. "Herbie!"

"Shhh, Rose. It's okay. I'm here, honey. I'm here," he pulled her into a crushing embrace, holding her tightly as he whispered soothing words. "I'll protect you, Rosie. It's okay, honey."

She hiccoughed, her tears momentarily ceasing. "Don't leave me, Herbie. Please? Don't go out and look for him. I don't want to be left alone. Please, Herbie?" she begged, her fingers curled into fists as she gripped the soaked front of his shirt.

"Shhh… I'm not going anywhere, Rosie. I'm right here," he repeated, hugging her again. "Do you wanna change into your nightdress?"

She nodded meekly against him, letting him undo the buttons down her front. When his fingers brushed against her stomach, she started crying again, burying her face in the crook of his neck and climbing into his lap.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, pulling herself tight against him.

And she was. Because that one brush of his skin against hers had made her skin crawl.

"Shhh, don't apologize, honey. It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her middle.

"Herbie? Herbie, can we make love?" she whispered tentatively. She had to know if she still _could_ make love to him. If they were going to be married, she would have to. So she had to know.

"Honey, I don't think that's bes-"

"Please, Herbie! Please? I-I still _feel_ him inside me, I still _taste_ him. Please! I-I _can't!_"

"I-Uhm…" he nodded apprehensively, laying her down gently on the bed and kissing her lightly.

She pulled her blouse off and threw it aside before pushing her skirt past her hips and kicking it to the floor. Her fingers descended on his belt, tearing it from him before she was slowly rubbing him.

"Ro-!" he started, shocked.

"_Please_!" she begged, her chocolate orbs still filled with tears as she looked up at him.

He nodded again, quickly undoing the buttons down his front before helping her remove his bottom layers. "Are- Are you _sure_ you wanna do this, Rose?" he asked, hovering between her thighs.

"Please, Herbie," she nodded, tears falling from her eyes. "I-I still _feel_ him. Please?"

He pushed gently into her, slowly, and she let her mind wander instantly. She was back with Tessie, the blonde's fingers filling her and teasing her as they moved slowly.

"_Stay with me, Rose. You're with me, not Herbie. Focus on me."_

Herbie's lips covered hers and she was jolted from her fantasy, the stubble on his cheeks preventing her from pretending he was the blonde. She parted her lips, ignoring the way her skin was crawling at the contact. No, she would get through this. And this was the best time, with her body still burning from being with Tessie. If she would be able to make love to him, now would be the best time to do it. And she had to. She would _make_ herself.

She slid her tongue past his lips, his mouth feeling too warm and too big, his tongue too thick and unwieldy. Her hands were planted firmly at his neck. She was afraid that moving them anywhere else would prevent her from escaping to her fantasy of the blonde.

Herbie continued, his body moving slowly against hers so that they were rocking gently in tandem. He was still hovering over her, his arms holding his torso off hers so he wouldn't hurt her. His breathing was gradually getting faster, labored. He was panting and groaning quietly as he buried his face in her hair.

And she felt nothing. The sex was almost painful, his length pushing deeply into her until she finally let out a squeak of pain. He mistook her squeal as one of passion and pushed harder into her, his pace increasing as he finally relaxed atop her. She took several slow breaths, concentrating on the recent memory of Tessie.

"_Do you like that, Rose? You like feeling my fingers in you? Pushing and thrusting deeper and faster?"_

_Oh, God, Tessie. Tessie, Tessie, Tessie, Tessie_. She focused on the memory of the blonde's fingers moving inside her, chanting the ballerina's name in mind as she lost herself in the fantasy.

She whimpered, her body finally believing her fantasies as pleasure flared within her. "Yes!" she breathed, her back arching slightly. She let her fantasy continue, letting more of her fantasy play with her memories.

_Tessie's tongue glided along her neck as she left open mouthed kisses. "I want you to cum, Rose. Hard. Cum for me, baby," she breathed in the redhead's ear, her fingers rocking upward as the heel of her hand pressed against her clit._

"_I-I can't, Tessie," Rose panted, moving her hips harder against the blonde's long fingers._

"_Yes you can, Rose." She pulled her fingers out, running her middle finger along her slit before tracing her own lips with it. "Rose, baby, you taste so good."_

Rose let out another whimper, gasping for breath now.

"_Fuck! Tessie, take me! Make me cum!" she pleaded._

_Tessie grinned wickedly, her palm covering the auburn curls between Rose's thighs. She pressed her palm harder, curling her fingers until she slid three of them into Rose's velvet heat. She breathed heavily on Rose's right nipple, watching it grow tight with the sensation of the hot air hitting it, before running her tongue over it. _

Rose moaned, her legs drawing up on either side of Herbie's waist. Several deep groans escaped her parted lips, her body rocking hard against Herbie's now.

"Honey!" he croaked, stopping his movement as he teetered on the brink of his own climax.

"No, no! Don't stop, honey, please! Don't-Oh, God!" she pleaded, her voice lost between a growl and a moan.

"_Rose, I want you on top. Show me how you like it, baby," Tessie purred._

Rose squealed in the back of throat and flipped their positions, grinding her hips downward until he filled her.

"_Yeah? You like it like that? Hard? Deep? You want everything I can give you?" Tessie's fingers moved faster, pinching and caressing and inching her closer. "Are you gonna cum now, baby? I want you to. I want you to cum real hard and scream. Scream my name, baby. Let go."_

Rose buried her face against Herbie's shoulder, kissing it and bringing a tell-tale clot of heated blood to the surface as she began trembling with the force of her orgasm. "Oh-Fuck! Tessie!" His skin muffled her shouts as she climaxed, her muscles clenching around his length and forcing him to climax as well.

He didn't hear the name she'd yelled and he didn't hear her uncharacteristic swearing as she came.

She collapsed on top of him, cuddling with him as she almost never did. "I love you," she breathed before she started dozing off, still immersed in her fantasy of the blonde.

"I love you, Rosie," he whispered back.

But it was the blonde's lilting voice she heard, the blonde's crystal eyes she saw, as she fell asleep, secure in the knowledge that she could, in fact, get through sex with her fiancé.

"I've never been in love with anyone before, not ever," Rose muttered sleepily, "but I'm in love with you."

Herbie was tracing light patterns on her lower back with one hand while his other hand rested against her curls, entirely unaccustomed to her clingy snuggling. He smiled widely, fighting back tears of joy at her statement, "And I'm in love with you, my Rose."

She smiled against his skin, blissfully unaware in her state of fantasy, and nuzzled against the nape of his neck as she kissed his skin softly and made a noise of contentment.


	7. Chapter 7

She laughed in the back of her throat, her fingers tangling in her counterpart's blonde curls as she pulled the ballerina's mouth harder against her own. One of her hands left the blonde's tresses, running down her smooth back before gripping the other woman's rear and pulling her closer.

"Are you _horny_, Rose?" Tessie purred, breaking their kiss. She leaned close again, kissing the redhead's neck teasingly.

"Ye-yes! God, yes!" she whispered in response, pushing the blonde against the door as her right hand left Tessie's rear to playfully snap the elastic of her costume thong. "God, I want you so much." She leaned in to kiss the blonde again.

Tessie, however, seemed to have other plans. She continued leaving hot kisses on Rose's neck, trailing from below her ear to the first button of her blouse. She slid her knee between the shorter woman's thighs before un-doing several of the top buttons of her blouse.

Rose whimpered, her breath catching as she stopped her fight. "Oh, God, Tessie… Mmnmmnm. Yeah. Like- Fuck." Her hands fell to the blonde's pale shoulders, her nails digging as she let out another whimper.

She guided the movement's of the redhead's hips, her own eyes alight as pleasure danced across Rose's features in response to the escalating pleasure on her clit. "You like that, Rose? You like _riding_ me? Oh, the things I'm gonna show you…" she laughed naughtily.

The redhead nodded, "Mmm-Mmhmm. I-I like it, Tessie. I like the way you make me _feel_!" She squealed the last word as the blonde bit her breast playfully.

Tessie locked the door before guiding Rose back several steps so she could lean against the vanity. Taking both the redhead's hands in her own, she guided them to the corner of the desk Rose was pinned against. "All I want you to do is stay standing, okay, baby? I'll do the rest," she winked.

Rose nodded, her eyes closed and her blouse hanging open.

Tessie sank to her knees and raised the hem of Rose's skirt so she could duck under before she curled her fingers around the elastic of the redhead's panties, playfully scratching her thighs until a soft groan escaped Rose's full lips.

"Please," she whimpered, one of her hands leaving the corner of the vanity so her fingers could curl in the fabric of her skirt where Tessie's head was. "Oh, God, Tessie. I can't take it anymore. Just-just take me."

The blonde's fingers curled around the elastic of Rose's panties again and she pulled them over her hips before nuzzling against the auburn curls between her thighs. She ran her tongue lightly along the redhead's slit and Rose groaned in anticipation.

"Yes! Pl-please, Tessie."

"Tessie?!"

"Shit! It's Herbie!" the blonde swore, pulling away from Rose and burying the woman's panties in her nearby purse. Rose's eyes went wide with panic and she started looking around.

"Have you seen Rose?" he called, knocking. "I haven't seen her since we got here and I'm worried she tried to go home on her own again."

"Just a minute, Herbie!" Tessie called, watching Rose hurriedly do up the buttons of her blouse. When the redhead was sufficiently covered, she pulled open the door. "She's right here, Herbie."

"Honey!" he sighed in relief, wrapping his arms around Rose's waist and spinning in a circle. "I was so worried!"

"I-I'm _fine_, Herbie. I was just-just talking to Tessie," she muttered, allowing herself to be hugged tightly.

"Oh! Right! I completely forgot to thank you!" Herbie broke the embrace, leaving one arm around her waist, before extending his right hand for the blonde's. "We appreciate what you did _so_ much. Rose owes you her life. And… I owe you mine cause I don't know _what_ my life would be without my Rose."

He clutched her tighter and she grimaced in pain. Tessie pointedly made a face. "Herbie, I'm not feeling well," she lied, glancing up at him. "I'd really rather be at the hotel. I can't even believe I let you drag me out today."

"Well, honey, I really didn't want to leave you alone."

"Can you walk me home and stay with me?" Rose asked, pouting up at him.

"I would, but if you're not gonna be here, shouldn't I be here with the girls?"

She nodded as though she hadn't though of that. "What about Louise?"

"Rosie, she's the star, she can't."

"Well, _I_ don't mind walking her home!" Tessie interjected, as though that _hadn't_ been their plan the whole time.

"Well… If you're sure," Herbie started, looking back to his wife. "Would that be okay?"

Rose nodded noncommittally.

He bit his lower lip, looking back at the blonde, "And, I'm sorry to ask, but would you mind terribly staying with her till me and the girls get back? I just don't wanna leave her alone after yesterday."

"Yeah, sure," she shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Thanks, Tessie. You're an angel. I don't know _how_ we can possibly repay you!" he gushed. He turned to Rose, smiling down at her before he leaned down to press a kiss to her lips.

Tessie waited till Herbie had disappeared before leaning against the redhead. "He doesn't know how to repay me. You got any ideas, Rose?" she purred, wrapping her arms around the shorter woman's waist.

"Oh, I got a few," Rose breathed suggestively before planting a light kiss to her lips. "Let's get outta here. I feel like he's gonna catch us."

"You worry too much," the blonde whispered, disentangling herself anyway. She pulled her coat on before helping Rose into hers. "Ready?"

"Just lemme say goodbye to Louise," she nodded, scooping up her purse and heading out of the room. "Baby?" she called. "Louise?"

"Coming, Mama!" she answered before hurrying down from Mazeppa's dressing room. "Oh! Herbie? Ag- I mean _Amanda_ needs help with her costume."

"Send her out here? I can't go in there while they're all gettin' changed," he answered, almost blushing. He was hovering outside the room, too much of a gentleman to invade the girls' privacy by entering.

Rose snorted, shaking her head, "Honey, just go in. It'll be okay." Herbie paled before nodding obediently and starting into the room. Her full lips spread into a smile and she turned to Louise. "Baby, I'm gonna go back to the room. I can't be around people today."

She nodded understandably before hugging her mother, "Be careful, Mama."

The redhead bit her lower lip, hugging her daughter tightly and nodding. "I will. Tessie's gonna walk me home and stay with me. I'll be okay. Tell Herbie I'm going now and I'll see him when he gets back to the room?"

"Yes, Mama," she smiled brightly before rushing back up the stairs. "HERBIE! Mama's leaving now!"

Tessie nudged the shorter woman gently, "You ready?"

"Hmm? Oh. Sorry, yeah," she nodded, feeling terribly guilty for letting her child believe this lie. "Yeah, let's go."

"Rosie, are you okay?" the blonde asked when they reached the alley.

"I-" Rose sighed. "I just _hate_ lying to Herbie."

She nodded sympathetically, wrapping her arms around the redhead's waist. "I know, Rose… Anything I can do to make it better?" She traced the redhead's earlobe with the tip of her tongue meaningfully.

The redhead chuckled naughtily, moving her head and pressing their lips together. "Well, you could show me a few of those things you mentioned earlier," she purred.

"Rose! I just heard what happened!!" Mazeppa yelled, pushing open the door to the alley. She stopped short when she saw Rose tangled in Tessie's arms and kissing her hungrily.

The women turned at the noise, Rose's eyes going wide before she pushed the blonde away.

"Heh," the brunette laughed, leaning against the door as it closed.

"This isn't what it looks like," Rose breathed.

"Nothing happened yesterday, did it," Mazeppa stated more than asked. "Y-You weren't raped at all. It was all a lie."

"No," she shook her head, wildly. "No-"

"Don't bother, Rose," the brunette interrupted. "Though… I _can_ think of one way you can convince me not to tell Herbie about all these dirty little lies."

"Stop, Mazeppa," Tessie demanded, stepping between the women.

"Stay outta this, Tessie," Mazeppa ordered.

"Mazeppa, are you trying to _blackmail_ me?" Rose laughed, moving around the blonde.

"I don't see what's so funny, Rose. I mean, if you don't do as I say, I'm telling your precious fiancé all about your lesbian tendencies, and the sex you had with Tessie, and the lie you told about where you were yesterday," the brunette smiled wickedly.

"Do you honestly think he'd believe _you_ over _me? _You think he'd believe some _trash_ bad-mouthing his beloved fiancée over the woman he's spent the last eight years proposing to?"

"I wouldn't be so certain, Rose. He's brighter than you give him credit for. So, if I were you, I'd start offering to be the perfect quickie and relieve my tension," Mazeppa said pointedly.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she stepped closer. "You _really_ don't want to be threatening me," the redhead whispered, her voice deathly quiet and cold.

"Oh, no?"

"No," she answered, teasingly pressing her body against Mazeppa's. "You remember how I never went back to the theater after that brute raped me back when I played in burlesque?" She waited for the brunette to nod breathlessly. "Well, I wasn't _afraid_ to go back because I was afraid he'd do it again." She brushed her full lips against Mazeppa's ear, "I didn't go back because I was wanted. For. _Murder_."

"What?!"

"That's right," Rose cooed, backing up several steps and smiling widely. "After he finished forcing himself on me and he pulled his pants back on, I dug in my purse for my husband's gun. And I blew the bastard's _brains_ out."

"But- you-" the brunette stuttered.

She laughed, her head lolling back, "Yup! That's why I dropped Thompson and took next husband's name. And it's why I'm taking Herbie's. So before you threaten me, _Mayzie_, dear, maybe you'd better realize who the _hell_ you're dealing with."

"I'll go to the police," Mazeppa threatened defiantly, gathering her courage.

"Which ones?" Rose asked, her eyes alight.

"… Seattle!"

"Good. Tell them Little Rosie Thompson says hello," she grinned. "… Thompson was my maiden name. That's my hometown. The police there _love_ me. My girls used to perform at their banquets. And they're all members of the same lodge hall as my Papa."

"I-"

"_Exactly_," Rose interrupted, hissing. Her voice was cold again. "You don't _know enough_ to report me. So don't play these games where you try to _threaten_ me. You don't scare me _one bit_." She stepped closer and reached in her purse before pulling out a handgun and waving it in front of Mazeppa's face. "So, lemme ask ya, _Mayzie_: Ya still intend to tell Herbie?"

The brunette shook her head, her eyes wide.

"Good girl," she smiled, tucking the gun back into her purse and turning away. "Ready, Tessie?" She hooked her arm around the blonde's and led her away, leaving Mazeppa alone in the alley.

"W-Was all that really true?" Tessie finally asked. "You were bluffing, right? That was a bluff? You didn't _really_ shoot that guy."

Rose didn't answer at first, just kept walking.

"Rosie?"

She sighed, stopping and turning to face the blonde. "Look, maybe it's true and maybe it isn't. But I don't see why it matters. Mazeppa isn't gonna rat us out to Herbie and _I_ have a _whole_ afternoon alone with you. So why are we _stalling _when there are _so_ many things you're supposed to be _showing _me?"

Tessie stared back at her, appearing mildly confused even as the redhead fixed her with a minx-like smile and pressed their bodies together. "R-Rose, did you-"

Rose bit back a growl, pulling herself away. "Yes. I did, alright? I knew that reporting it wouldn't get me anywhere. The police would've sooner arrested me for working at fifteen and working _there_ than arresting that--" She faltered over words before taking a deep breath, "_Man_. So I punished him on my own. I don't see why it matters, Tessie."

"You don't see- Rose! You _shot a man_!"

"Keep. Your voice. _Down_," she hissed, stepping close again. "You act like I didn't have a _reason_. Tessie, I was _fifteen_. I'd gotten married to escape that damn _convent_ Mama and Papa had sent me to only to have my husband get laid off. I went into show business-- burlesque is the only thing that would hire me at my age, though, they told me to lie to police if asked." She paused, as though uncertain as whether or not to continue on. "Tess… I hadn't even made love to my husband yet when that monster…"She trailed off, her eyes strangely unfocused, before shaking her head and forcing herself back to the present, "I won't apologize for what I did. And I won't apologize for using the gun to scare Mazeppa or _having_ the gun. After… I always carry it with me."

"Rose-"

"I don't see what this _changes_, Tessie. That was a long time ago. I just have it for protection, for me and my baby. … And now you."

Tessie took a deep breath before running her tongue over her lips, "Does Herbie know?"

"About the gun? Yes but he doesn't know I keep it loaded," she nodded. "He thinks it's fake. And that Papa insists I carry it. He'd be so _hurt_ if he thought I thought I needed more protection than he can give me. But the truth is I do. I won't let the same thing happen to my baby. And if that means… Well, I'll do whatever it takes."

The blonde sighed, shaking her head, before tentatively reaching out and taking Rose's hand before starting forward again. Rose's full lips spread in a smile in response and she gently squeezed Tessie's hand.

"So," Rose started, biting her lower lip as she giggled naughtily, "didn't you have something you wanted to _show _me, Tessie?"


End file.
